World · Malaysia Bureau
Federal Islamic Affairs Department seeks to overturn RM160,000 compensation order
Malaysia's Federal Territories Islamic Affairs Department is challenging a compensation award to activist Siti Kasim, arguing that an erroneous detention in 2016 does not constitute misconduct by public officials.
LSN Malaysia ·
The Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (JAWI) has filed arguments to set aside a RM160,000 compensation order granted to rights activist Siti Kasim following her controversial detention nearly a decade ago.
In legal submissions, the department contended that despite its officers making procedural errors during Kasim's apprehension in 2016, such mistakes should not be classified as official misconduct. The department's position challenges the earlier compensation ruling that found grounds for liability in the case.
The 2016 detention of Kasim, a prominent civil rights advocate, had attracted significant public and legal scrutiny. Her case subsequently proceeded through Malaysia's judicial system, culminating in the compensation award that JAWI now seeks to overturn.
The appeal represents a broader legal question regarding accountability standards for religious authorities and whether administrative errors during law enforcement operations constitute actionable misconduct under Malaysian law. The matter remains pending before the courts.