KUALA TERENGGANU: PKR vice-president Rafizi RamIi has been given a month to apologise and retract his slanderous remarks about the Syariah courts.
The state Syariah Appeal Court chief registrar Wan Abd Malik Wan Sidek said Rafizi had tarnished the image and dignity of the Syariah courts, its judges and lawyers.
Abd Malik said that the 21 Terengganu Syariah court officers including the judges and lawyers, is demanding for Rafizi to use an apology and retract his statement, failing which, legal action will be taken.
The officers today have also lodged a police report against Rafizi.
Abd Malik, accompanied by four Syariah Court lawyers lodged a report at the Kuala Terengganu police station at 11.20am today.
He said, a video, which purportedly featured Rafizi ridiculing the Syariah courts, has gone viral since it was uploaded on YouTube in April.
In the video, Rafizi had in a mock parliamentary sitting, claimed that the implementation of Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) would open the door for bribery and abuse of power among Syariah court judges because there will be no salary increment for the judges.
“His statement is slanderous and we want him to be investigated under Section 499 of the Penal Code for criminal defamation,” he said.
Meanwhile Kuala Terengganu police chief Assistant Commissioner Idris Abdul Rafar confirmed that they have received the report and the case is being investigated under Section 499 of the Penal Code and if convicted, the suspect could face up to two years imprisonment or a fine or both.