Siti Kasim trial: no warrant normally shown for Jawi raids

Lawyer and activist Siti Kasim. -The Star filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: An Islamic department officer at the trial of Siti Kasim said that no warrant was normally shown when conducting a raid.

When Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) officer Mohd Johan Mohd Ridzuan said that at the magistrate’s court here on Monday (March 26), there were murmurs from the public gallery.

He was testifying at the trial of lawyer and activist Siti Kasim, who pleaded not guilty to the charge of obstructing a Jawi enforcement officer from executing her duties during a raid at a transgender event at a hotel on the night of April 3, 2016.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel Suzana Norlihan Alias, who asked whether there was a warrant for the raid, Mohd Johan, who was the assigned videographer during the raid, said, “Every time I am at the location (of raids), I have never seen a warrant being produced.”

Siti, whose full name is Siti Zabedah Kasim, was alleged to have committed the offence at a ballroom of a hotel here against Jawi enforcement officer Siti Nor Jihan Saleh @ Md Ghazali.

When asked by the defence for the reason for the raid, Mohd Johan said that he was told that a beauty contest was taking place at the event.

However, he admitted that none of the participants on stage for the alleged beauty contest was arrested.

Mohd Johan also admitted that the video he captured that night seemed to show that Siti was giving her cooperation during the raid.

He agreed with the defence’s suggestion that the people who were obstructing the work of Jawi officials that night were the workers from the hotel.

He is scheduled to be re-examined by deputy public prosecutor Hafizza Sauni when the hearing continues before Magistrate Maizatul Munirah Abd Rahman on March 27.

Siti is charged under Section 186 of the Penal Code with obstructing a public servant in discharge of his public functions and faces up to two years in jail, a fine of up to RM10,000 or both if found guilty.