IRF can challenge ban on three books

The Islamic Renaissance Front Berhad (IRF) has obtained leave for a judicial review of the ban of three books by the Home Minister.

Two books were published and sold by IRF in June 2012 and October 2014, and in January last year, it translated a book entitled Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty by Turkish writer Mustafa Akyol into Bahasa Malaysia.

High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) judge Justice Kamaludin Md Said granted the leave to IRF in chambers yesterday in the presence of parties.

IRF’s counsel Tunku Farik Ismail said the judge granted leave for a judicial review and fixed Dec 13 for the next case management. Tunku Farik said they filed a notice of motion at the Federal Court to declare Section 7 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 unconstitutional and null and void.

In the application filed by its founder Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa on Nov 14, IRF named the Home Minister as the sole respondent.

The applicant said IRF is a movement established in 2007 focusing on youth empowerment, promoting Muslim intellectual discourse, ideas reform and renewal for a modern pluralistic world, and to revitalise the dynamism of Muslim intellectual discourse in Malaysia.

IRF said on Oct 6, the Home Minister had told a portal that the books were banned after due consideration and evaluation.

In a media statement by the Home Ministry on Oct 9, it said the books promoted liberalism and had deviated from actual Islamic teaching.

The applicant said IRF has not been served with the (ban) orders and has not received any complaint from the respondent nor the public that any of the publications have affected public order or morality of the country.

It is seeking a cetiorari order to quash the orders; a declaration that the orders are null and void, in that they are ultra vires the Federal Constitution; and a declaration that Section 7 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 is unconstitutional and null and void.