Bung Mokhtar jailed a month and fined

KUALA LUMPUR: Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin, who took actress Zizie Ezette A. Samad as his second wife in December last year, has been sentenced to one month’s jail for entering into a polygamous marriage without the consent of the Syariah Court.

Bung, 51, was also fined RM1,000 in default one month’s jail on a second charge of abetting Zizie to marry without the consent of a Syariah registrar.

He was granted a stay of execution of the one-month jail term pending his appeal at the Syariah High Court, and was released on RM1,000 bail with one surety.

Zizie, 32, was fined RM1,000 in default one month’s jail for marrying without the consent of a Syariah registrar.

She and five men including her three brothers were also fined RM1,000 each in default six months’ jail for abetting Bung in polygamy without the consent of the court.

The court’s decision does not affect Bung’s seat in the Dewan Rakyat, as according to Article 48 of the Federal Constitution, a lawmaker will be disqualified only if he or she is sentenced to not less than a year’s jail or fined not less than RM2,000, and had not received a pardon.

In passing judgment, syariah judge Wan Mahyuddin Wan Muhammad said that as a lawmaker, Bung should have a higher regard for the law.

“As an MP, he should lead by example. The same goes to Zizie who is a Muslim actress with many fans. Both are icons,” he said.

Wan Mahyuddin said the court had to mete out strict punishment as a lesson to those involved and to society.

“It is time for the court to increase the penalty for the sake of its credibility. Many can afford to pay the fine imposed by the court to a point that the laws are not respected.

“With wide media coverage, the court hopes that society will be educated on the actual concept of polygamy. Let this punishment give a clear picture and encourage the public to follow the procedures as provided for in the Islamic legal system.”

Bung and Zizie had both pleaded guilty to the charge on April 20.

Bung and Zizie, who walked side by side to their car after the proceedings, appeared calm when they were swarmed by newsmen.

Saadiah Din, a civil lawyer who is also a Syariah lawyer, said although Bung had escaped being stripped of his MP status, he could be referred to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee.

“He is a lawmaker. He cannot be seen as a law breaker,” she said.

Constitutional law expert Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Shad Faruqi said the Dewan Rakyat had the power to try Bung for dishonourable conduct.

“But since it has not done so, it is unlikely that it would be done (now),” he said.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil hailed the judgment as a huge moral victory for long-suffering first wives.