'Muhyiddin was not spreading fake news': Bersatu info chief hits back at Fahmi

PETALING JAYA: Tan Sri Muhiyddin Yassin was defending the syariah legal system and was not spreading fake news, says Datuk Razali Idris.

The Bersatu information chief hit out at Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil for allegedly accusing Muhyiddin, who was the Perikatan Nasional chairman.

"Muhyiddin is a former prime minister, former deputy prime minister and former menteri besar. He had also held several other Cabinet portfolios before this," said Razali in a statement on Sunday (Feb 11).

However, Razali's defence of Muhyiddin did not provide any points to prove Fahmi wrong.

Fahmi on Feb 11 accused Muhyiddin's statement regarding the Federal Court's decision to nullify 16 provisions of offences under the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code (1) Enactment 2019, as inaccurate.

Fahmi said this in response to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's claims that with the ruling, some acts which were against Islamic law would no longer be offences in the state.

"Muhyiddin is spreading fake news," said Fahmi, who is also the spokesman of the unity government, on his X account.

Muhyiddin claimed that the decision had made several activities that were against Islamic law no longer an offence for Muslims in Kelantan.

On Friday (Feb 9), the Federal Court, in an 8-1 majority decision, ruled that 16 provisions of offences under the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment (1) 2019, were null and void.

The decision was delivered by Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who led a panel of nine judges, after allowing the application of Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid, who is from Kelantan, and her daughter, Tengku Yasmin Nastasha Abdul Rahman, to challenge the constitutionality and legality of 18 provisions of offences under the enactment.