A woman in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, who was charged with ‘insulting Islam’ by allegedly “acting indecently” while performing at a comedy club pleaded not guilty to the accusation. Siti Nuramira Abdullah, 26, pleaded not guilty to the charge before Judge Siti Aminah Ghazali. She was accused of stirring up religious conflict among Muslims.
The woman was accused of committing the offence of ‘insulting Islam’ by stripping to show herself in a short dress at the Taman Tun Dr Ismail comedy club. She acknowledged being a Muslim and having memorised 15 chapters of the Quran.
Nuramira was charged under Section 298A of the Malaysian Penal Code for producing discord, disunity, or emotions of animosity. If convicted, she faces up to five years in jail. Deputy Public Prosecutor Najah Farhana requested during the hearing today that no bail be granted to the accused since the offence is not bailable.
However, the accused’s attorney, R. Sivaraj, requested a reduced bond, arguing that the bail was merely aimed to assure their client’s appearance in court. The court set bail at RM20,000 with one surety, and the accused was ordered to forfeit her passport until the matter was resolved.
During her open mic stint on stage, the woman wearing a hijab allegedly made derogatory religious remarks and removed her Baju Kurung (Malay dress). Under the outfit, she was wearing a spaghetti-strap dress. On July 9, police arrested the woman following a 54-second video of the show going viral.
Provokasi melampau… pic.twitter.com/p6p6i0UyvB
— MYNEWSHUB (@mynewshub) July 9, 2022
The matter has elicited criticism from both the government and the general population. The comedy club’s operations have been temporarily halted by Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
The viral video of the woman is being looked at by the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department. A fine of up to RM3,000 or a sentence of up to two years in prison are possible penalties for anyone found guilty of insulting or causing contempt for Islam under the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act of 1997 in Malaysia.
