'Insufficient evidence to prosecute Zamri, Firdaus'

Summary

• The AGC states it has insufficient evidence to prosecute controversial Muslim preachers Zamri Vinoth and Firdaus Wong, according to law minister Azalina Othman Said.

• However, the case can be investigated further and reviewed if there are any new developments, she adds.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) said there is insufficient evidence to prosecute controversial preachers Zamri Vinoth and Firdaus Wong.

This was according to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said.

She said the AGC came to this conclusion after the police sent their investigation paper on the duo to the AGC.

“Based on the response from AGC, there is insufficient evidence to prove the elements of an offence under any legal provision to prosecute the two individuals mentioned in court,” she said in a written parliamentary response to Jelutong MP RSN Rayer.

However, Azalina said the case did not stop there, explaining that, unlike civil cases, criminal cases have no time limits. Therefore, if there are any new developments, further investigation and review of the case can be carried out, she said.

In April, MIC deputy president M Saravanan alluded to simmering resentment within the Indian community over the lack of court charges against Zamri.

He said failure to prosecute Zamri has unsettled segments of the public, despite nearly 900 police reports after the preacher made a Facebook post in March that compared Thaipusam kavadi bearers to drunk or possessed individuals.

Commenting on how the issue could potentially erode Indian support for BN, Saravanan warned the coalition could suffer spillover effects if prosecution against Zamri is delayed.

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim had also claimed that justice appeared to be swift involving those who allegedly insulted the prime minister, but seemed to falter in other matters, pointing to the lack of action against Zamri as a prime example.

Facebook removed Zamri’s post after a request by the MCMC, four days after it was uploaded. However, the post was later reuploaded.

Zamri was also detained by the authorities in March over a separate issue, involving Facebook posts on the relocation of the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple in Kuala Lumpur.

Then-police chief Razarudin Husain said Bukit Aman’s Classified Crime Investigation Unit opened an investigation against him under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 as well as Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

In his posts, Zamri painted the temple committee as people who stole land for the use of the temple.

Secret conversion video

As for Firdaus, the Kuala Lumpur High Court earlier this month declared his video, which promoted covert religious conversions of underage children, as unlawful and unconstitutional.

It was reported that the court also directed him to pay RM10,000 in costs to eight non-Muslim parents who brought the case.

In June last year, Firdaus sparked outrage by uploading a TikTok video in which he coached a man on how to respond to minors seeking to covertly convert to Islam.

The video quickly went viral, triggering a wave of police reports against the preacher.

In response, authorities launched an investigation under Section 505(c) of the Penal Code, which deals with statements likely to incite public unrest.

'Everyone knows': MIC No 2 hints his feeling over 'inaction' on Zamri

Justice swift for insulting PM, lags in cases like Zamri's - Zaid

Covert conversion video of minors unlawful, preacher ordered to remove it

Saravanan begs Hindus to ignore 'more Malay than Malays' preachers