Jawi officer Googled what to arrest Siti Kasim for

KUALA LUMPUR: An enforcement officer from the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) testified that she had to do a Google search on what offence she could arrest lawyer and activist Siti Kasim for during a raid at a transgender beauty pageant two years ago.

Siti Nor Jihan Saleh @ Md Ghazali said she did a Google search on which section of the Federal Terri­tories Syariah Criminal Offences Act 1997 she could arrest Siti Kasim and the organiser of the event under.

She said she could not find the section because Siti Kasim repeatedly posed provocative questions.

“The situation was chaotic and tense. The accused tried to delay the raid and did not cooperate.

“We wanted to arrest the organiser, who went by the name ‘Ira Sofia’, and not the accused, who continuously asked me which section of the Act Jawi wanted to arrest the organiser under.

“I then held the accused’s wrist to bring her to the police station along with the organiser, but the accused claimed that I tried to push her,” she said when testifying before magistrate Maizatul Muni­rah Abd Rahman.

Siti Nor Jihan was giving evidence during an examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Hafizza Sauni at the trial of Siti Kasim, who was charged with hindering a Jawi enforcement officer from executing her duties during a raid at a hotel on the night of April 3, 2016.

Siti Kasim was charged under Section 186 of the Penal Code with obstructing a public servant from discharging her public functions, which carries a jail sentence of up to two years, a fine of up to RM10,000 or both, upon conviction.

Earlier, Siti Nor Jihan said they conducted the raid following a complaint from the public.

She said the raid was conducted under Section 9 of the Act and that the enforcers did try to explain to the participants that the event had been gazetted as haram under a fatwa.

The video of the raid was played during the proceedings yesterday.

The trial continues today.