Detractors purposely missing the point, Nik Elin's daughter says of 'vitriol' following apex court ruling

PETALING JAYA: Tengku Yasmin Nastasha Tengku Abdul Rahman, who initiated the constitutional challenge against Kelantan Syariah law with her mother, says they have been unfairly portrayed by their detractors as a threat to the sanctity of Islam.

In a social media post, she said that for the last four days she did not get much sleep and barely ate even after the Federal Court decision on the petition filed by her Kelantan-born lawyer mother Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid and herself.

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Tengku Yasmin Nastasha said in the late Sunday (Feb 11) post on X that she was disheartened by the misinterpretation of their petition "orchestrated by undisclosed entities."

"It is imperative to clarify that our pursuit was driven by a singular motive: adherence to due process in the enactment and application of laws.

"The vitriolic campaign waged against us by (these) adversaries manifested in baseless allegations, portraying us as threats to the sanctity of Islam in our nation."

On Friday (Feb 9), the Federal Court, in an 8-1 majority decision, ruled that 16 provisions for offences under the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment (1) 2019 were null and void because the state legislature did not have the power to enact laws on said offences because there were federal laws covering those matters.

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Tengku Yasmin Nastasha clarified that her petition merely sought a judicial review by the Federal Court to ascertain whether the Kelantan state assembly had exceeded its constitutional mandate, a principle enshrined in Schedule 9 of the Federal Constitution.

"Regrettably, our detractors resorted to ad hominem ("to the person" in Latin) attacks, targeting my mother and attempting to link our case with the authority of the Malay Rulers.

"Such assertions are not only fallacious but also reflect a cynical ploy to deflect accountability onto our most revered institution.

"Let me reiterate unequivocally my unwavering allegiance and reverence for our Malay Rulers. I have nothing but love and admiration for our Malay Rulers, especially His Royal Highness the Sultan of my home state (Kelantan)," she added.

She also said that she and her mother have been “constant recipients” of death threats and “takfirs” (the practice of one Muslim declaring another Muslim an unbeliever) since August last year.

ALSO READ: Court’s verdict nothing to do with Islamic doctrine, says lawyer Nik Elin

“When the case was first (made viral) by lawyers affiliated with a certain political party, Mum and I have been constant recipients of death threats and takfirs from that crowd,” she said.

“Her past writings were egregiously manipulated, taken out of context to portray her as a ‘liberal’.

"This deliberate mischaracterisation, orchestrated to serve vested interests, exemplifies the depth to which our adversaries stooped to undermine our endeavour.”

"Despite Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat's repeated clarifications that our case pertained solely to legal jurisdiction and did not impinge upon Islamic doctrine or the authority of Syariah Courts, our adversaries persist in propagating falsehoods, seeking to incite religious discord," she said.

Police have started investigating threats against Nik Elin.

In a statement on Sunday, Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Allaudeen Abdul Majid confirmed that the lawyer had lodged three reports regarding death threats received after the Federal Court ruling that nullified 16 provisions in Kelantan's Syariah criminal laws.