PAS’ Muslimat wing has slammed Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is also women, family and community development minister, over the recent decisions in two statutory rape cases that are “unfortunate for the women of Malaysia”.

NONE Its information chief Aiman Athirah Al-Jundi ( right ) said in a press statement that it the decision were also an embarrassment.

“PAS Muslimat stresses that this development is something very unfortunate for the women in Malaysia, what more since the position of a women’s minister is held by the prime minister. It is clearly embarrassing to the women of the country,” Aiman said.

She urged Najib as the women, family and community development minister to state his stand on the court decisions to release the rapists convicted in two separate statutory rape cases this month.

“Is this what he, who is also the prime minister, meant when declaring that BN set a ‘ maqasid syariah ’ spirit in its 55 years of ruling, whereas the recent development has proven otherwise?

“Where is the spirit of maqasid syariah in protecting the rights of individuals (the underaged girls) and the fate of the human race?” Aiman asked.

‘Dangerous precedent set’

Meanwhile, Perak DAP assemblyperson Wong Kah Woh said in a statement that the court has “set a dangerous precedent” that has gone against the interests of the rakyat.

NONE “Under the principle of stare decisis where judges are obliged to respect the precedent established by prior decisions, the decision by the Court of Appeal is binding on the subsequent lower court decision and this is exactly what happened in the second case of statutory rape in the George Town matter,” Wong ( right ) said.

Partis Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) in its statement called the court decisions to release the two rapists as "inconsistent and mind-boggling".

 

"Whatever the intention of the judges who delivered identical judgments, their grounds are inconsistent and mind-boggling," PSM) central committee member Rani Rasiah said.

Gerakan Wanita deputy chief Ng Siew Lai in a statement today said the verdicts considered the “bright futures” of the convicted parties while completely ignoring the plight of the two child victims.

“While the judges were handing down their judgments, they only took into consideration the “bright future” of the accused, but overlooked the plight of the victims and their families,” Ng said.

She added that  in delivering verdicts, the courts should stand by the fundamental principle of “legal equality”.

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