Borders store manager Nik Raina Nik Abdul Aziz could have faced a maximum fine of RM3,000 or two years' jail or both, if she had pleaded guilty or found guilty of selling a banned book at the Syariah High Court in Kuala Lumpur.

Instead Berjaya Corporation, which owns the Borders book chain, stood by Nik Raina when she claimed trial, and the company had to possibly fork out hundreds of thousands of ringgit in legal fees to defend her, for wrongly being persecuted by the Federal Territory Islamic Department (Jawi).

This follows Jawi's raid and seizure of the book Allah, Liberty and Love , written by Canadian Muslim Irshad Manji on March 23, 2012.

The problem was that the book was not banned by the Home Ministry officials on March 23, but was only gazetted as being banned six days later, that is on March 29.

The legal fees is understood to be an approximate amount which Berjaya had to pay to Nik Raina's lawyers and for standing by her in the three-year predicament, as Jawi cannot charge a company and a non-Muslim for such an offence.

Today, it was reported that Jawi agreed to withdraw its appeal at the Syariah Court of Appeal and stop all actions against Nik Raina.

This follows a legal letter dated May 5 by Borders giving Jawi and its chief prosecutor seven days from receiving the letter to comply with the courts or face the prospect of committal proceedings.

Thanks for your support

When contacted by Malaysiakini , Nik Raina expressed her gratitude to Berjaya chairperson and chief executive officer, Robin Tan, for coming up with the finances to support her, Borders chief operating officer Yau Su Peng ( photo ) for standing by her and her lawyer Rosli Dahlan ( photo ).

Commenting on Jawi's decision, Yau said it has come as a big surprise to her that Jawi has decided not to pursue Nik Raina.

“I am grateful that this matter in the Syariah court has finally come to a conclusion and I am happy for Nik Raina and her family that she is finally a free person again.

“I hope for the sake of Malaysia and Malaysians who want to work and earn a decent living, that public authorities especially the religious authorities will act in accordance with the rule of law and the constitution and take into consideration the diversity of our multricultural and multireligious society," she said in a statement today.

She hopes that this is really the end of the ordeal for Nik Raina and they can all go back to ‎the business of running the bookstore.

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