Jais can’t prove khalwat in Norman-Memey case

KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) operations chief says he only suspects artists Norman Hakim and Memey had committed the khalwat (close proximity) offence on Oct 30 last year.

“I cannot prove the celebrity couple did indeed commit khalwat at around 3am at an office in Taman Ukay Perdana, Hulu Klang,” Abdul Rahman Lai told Syariah Court deputy public prosecutor Muhamad Nazri Basrawi.

Abdul Rahman said he only suspected that Norman or Mohamed Norhakim Zaidon, 33, and Suhaiza Suhaimi, known as Memey, 21, had committed the offence.

He added that he saw Memey sitting in a chair at a counter on the ground floor at 2.45am, while Norman was seen upstairs.

He also admitted that no evidence was collected at the scene when the couple were detained.

However, Abdul Rahman told the Lower Syariah Court in Gombak that his officers knocked on the door grill for 30 minutes without getting an answer.

“Both the accused took a long time to answer the door. In that long time, any possibility could have happened,” he said as reported on mStar, the Malay online news portal of The Star.

The proceedings became heated when defence lawyer Fakhrul Azman Abdul Hassan objected to Abdul Rahman’s testimony as the latter brought up new facts not raised at the start of the case.

The Jais officer said he saw pillows and a mattress inside the room where he found Norman.

Abdul Rahman added that Norman, who was wearing a T-shirt and tight shorts, was uncooperative with Jais officers.

He added that he did not know that one of his officers, Khairul Nizam, had given a statement on a television show.

Norman and Memey are contesting the khalwat charge.

The proceedings before Syariah judge Salehan Yatim will resume on Aug 28.