Single mum denounces double standards; Minister denies role
Published on: Thursday, May 07, 2020
By: The Star
Photo file from Bernama
PUTRAJAYA: Sentences meted out by the court are for the judge to decide, says Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.He said as a country that practises judicial democracy, the government does not interfere in matters of the court.
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“Whatever the court decides is based on the facts of the case that are brought before it. It is up to the judge to decide,” he said Wednesday (May 7).
He was responding to public queries on the different sentences meted by the court on those violating the movement control order.
On May 5, the daughter of Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and her husband was fined RM800 each by the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court for breaking the MCO.
Datuk Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid and her husband Datuk Saiful Nizam Mohd Yusoff pleaded guilty to travelling to a ministry for a meeting on April 20.
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The breach came to light after Nurulhidayah had posted pictures of herself and her husband with Deputy Environment Minister Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri on her Instagram account on April 20.
On April 21, a single mother was sentenced to 30 days in jail, also for violating the MCO.
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B. Lisa Christina’s jail term was later reduced to a RM1,000 fine.
In a Facebook post, B. Lisa Christina questioned why Nurulhidayah and Saiful Nizam were sentenced to a mere RM800 fine each for the same offence.
“During the eight days in jail, I felt so shattered because I was unable to see my son and felt so embarrassed. I even had to borrow RM1,000 from my mother to settle the fine, “ she posted on Facebook.
“Why are there these double standards? I need an explanation for this,” she said Tuesday.
Lisa, who lives in a fifth-floor apartment unit, was arrested by police after she went to buy a packet drink and stopped to have a chat with three loitering Indonesians.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) expressed regret over the move by Putrajaya magistrate’s court at banning newsmen from covering the open court proceedings involving Zahid’s daughter and son-in-law.
NUJ president Chin Sung Chew in a statement also sought an explanation from the judiciary on the matter as no justification was given for the directive, allegedly given by magistrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim.
“We regret this action, especially for a case that was set for an open court hearing where public has the right to attend the proceedings.
“We feel this action is an attempt to prevent journalists the freedom to gather information, though it involves children of politicians or influential personalities.
“As long as the journalists do not violate court rules, the directive can be deemed as an obstruction to the journalist’s duty in obtaining news,” she said.
She said such directive would showcase Malaysia as not practising media freedom since the court was the symbol of justice in the country.
In response, the Federal Court Chief Registrar’s Office claimed that the magistrate’s court was “not aware” of the presence of the media covering the cases that day.
“Apart from the two cases, there were also several other cases that had been fixed for hearing. There were prosecuting officers, police and members of the public in the courtroom.”
“This made the courtroom cramped and there was no social distancing. The court then told the public to leave to ensure compliance with the social distancing guidelines issued by the Health Ministry,” the statement read.
The registrar’s office went on to claim that the court “did not realise” the presence of the media who were there to cover the cases.
“Therefore, there is no issue of media not being allowed to cover the cases.
“The courts will always ensure everyone is given equal access to justice, including the media.”
It was reported that journalists covering the case were told to leave the courtroom just before their cases were called.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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