Reporters covering the Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib versus Shahnaz Abdul Majid trial have been advised by Kuala Lumpur Syariah High Court judge Muhamad Abdul Karim Wahab to be fair to the parties in their reports.

Justice Muhamad said he cannot prevent journalists from covering the hearing and he noticed that some reports on the trial had spelt his name wrongly.

"I am concerned that the story comes out before a decision is being made in the case, as if it is already true. Sometimes, when I look at the computer at 1pm, I find the report already out.

"It does not only come out here in Malaysia but is reported the world over. I would advise journalists covering the case to be fair in their reports," he said.

The judge also advised lawyers that if there was any rebuttal to the claims made, to do it quickly to dispel what has been alleged.

Justice Muhamad spoke to reporters in the public gallery who are covering the RM100 million mutaah claim by Shahnaz.

Before the start of today’s proceedings, lawyers for Shahnaz, who is jazz queen Sheila Majid’s elder sister, had been questioning Abu Bekir’s conduct in issuing statements outside the court in June, just after the trial ended that day.

Such statements, said lawyer Akbardin Abdul Kader, had been reported in several news portals.

Some of what was revealed outside court had not been stated during the trial and this amounts to being sub-judice, Akbardin warned.

Another lawyer for Shahnaz, Rafie Mohd Shafie, also showed an article published in Utusan Malaysia last month (when there was no proceeding), where Abu Bekir alleged that the divorce proceeding is being politicised as this is incorrect and not accurate.

“We do not want a trial by media and we asked that this is not repeated,” he said.

‘No involvement by court’

However, Abu Bekir’s lawyer, Saadiah Din, said she was surprised with the objection made as the issue had not arisen until this morning.

She said her client is always present during trials and when reporters asked questions, he was obliged to answer and there is nothing extra produced in the statements.

Saadiah said huge publicity had been given to Shahnaz in her case and she was surprised that when it was her client’s turn, the plaintiff (Shahnaz) claimed she felt uncomfortable.

Akbardin said there is no problem if Abu Bekir was trying to clarify but they are concerned that what was highlighted is not yet revealed in court.

To this, Muhamad said the court does not want to get involved in this as what the court evaluates is based on facts adduced in court and not outside.

The judge further expressed concern that the proceeding was still on-going and there is a perception created in public, and the public should themselves evaluate based on the evidence adduced.

“For me, my concern is only the facts before the court. If you look at it politically it becomes political,” he reminded both parties.

The hearing continues again on Sept 8.

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