Arrest warrant out for eHati duo after another court no-show

The Shah Alam Syariah High Court has issued an arrest warrant for the founder and counsellor of a motivational programme known as eHati over their repeated no-show in court this morning.

The two individuals were scheduled to be charged under the Syariah Crimes Enactment (Selangor) 1995 today before judge Zainal Abidin Kusmin.

However, the warrant was issued after the judge allowed the prosecutor’s application over the duo’s no-show, as reported by Sinar Harian.

The court also ordered the authorities to conduct an immigration search on the duo.

Only a friend, who is also the guarantor to the eHati founder, appeared in court today, as she was called to explain their absence.

The woman, who is a doctor, told the judge that she only agreed to be the founder’s guarantor out of pity, as no one in her family would want to do so, and that despite being friends with the founder since 2021, she had never set foot in the fugitive’s home.

The judge then fixed March 5 next year for the case mention.

Selangor police chief Shazeli Kahar had said that the police are actively tracking down the two individuals following their no-show in court.

On July 15, the authorities detained eHati’s founders, a married couple who run eHati International Sdn Bhd. They were investigated under Sections 294 and 509 of the Penal Code, alongside Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act.

Section 294 of the Penal Code deals with obscene acts or words in a public place, while Section 509 deals with words or gestures intended to insult a person’s modesty.

Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act includes indecent, threatening, abusive, or insulting behaviour, writing, drawing, or posts, with the intent to breach the peace.

However, they were released on police bail three days later.

RM4k fine for exposing body parts

The couple had denied allegations of deviant teachings and substance abuse at eHati, and they described themselves as certified practitioners in the “field of hypnotherapy”.

They also said that their programme was developed in compliance with professional ethical standards and aligned with Malaysia’s cultural and religious values.

Afterwards, the court fined another counsellor, Siti Zaama Rizal Boss, with an RM4,000 fine and charged two others, Munirah Hishamshah and Bushra Zaki, who pleaded not guilty.

Zainal meted down the sentence to Siti Zaama after she pleaded guilty to an offence of exposing her body parts at a programme, to a point that caused Islam to be seen as contemptible, on Sept 29 last year.

He had also ordered Siti Zaama to serve one month in jail if she failed to pay the fine.

Her charge was framed under Section 10(a) of the Enactment, which carries a maximum fine of RM5,000 or a maximum of three years in jail or both.

Before sentencing, the unrepresented 49-year-old admitted that she was facing marital issues, which prompted her to join the programme, and that she was not aware of committing the offence.

She added that she had felt ashamed to have exposed her body parts at the programme and that she had only participated in the hope of finding solutions to her inferiority and to increase her self-confidence.

She then pleaded with the court to consider an RM500 penalty as she and her husband are unemployed.

Firm reminder

In rebuttal, deputy public prosecutor Husaini Roslin submitted that the programme does not justify the organiser’s “means and good intention” of helping married couples improve their marital relationships, as good intentions cannot be followed by things that are against religion.

He added that Siti Zaama should have sought the right channel instead of participating in the programme.

The judge, in his verdict, reminded Siti Zaama not to make Islam contemptible, as being a Muslimah, it made her an “ambassador” of the religion and a good role model to non-Muslims.

He added that despite experiencing marital problems, she cannot violate halal and haram, as doing so would only embarrass herself.

The judge fixed March 5 next year for mention, as Munirah and Bushra had pleaded not guilty to the same offence as Siti Zaama.

The duo, who were also eHati counsellors, were accused of committing the same offence on Sept 30 last year.

Lawyers Mazli Abdul Muin and Yusfa Hanis Yusoff represented Munirah and Bushra, respectively. The two accused were released on RM3,000 bail in one surety, each.

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