Mahammad Ibrahim, who is also the Federal Territories chief shariah judge, claimed Rafizi’s statements during a mock Parliament seating last month had tarnished the shariah judiciary’s reputation.
“The PKR vice-president had said that we, shariah judges, have a high tendency towards corrupt practices and abusing power if our salaries are not raised under the proposed amendment to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 or Act 355.
“He went on to say that there were more shariah judges who took bribes compared with civil court judges,” Mahammad told reporters at the Putrajaya police headquarters today.
He said Rafizi’s claim was baseless as there is only one shariah judge who has been convicted of corruption.
He was referring to the case of former Perak shariah judge Hassan Basri Shafie, who was jailed for six years by the Court of Appeal for corruption.
Mahammad added that Rafizi should not politicise religion by attacking shariah judges.
“I was shocked when I saw his statement during the mock session,” he said.
Mahammad, who was accompanied by lawyers Mohd Haaziq Pillay and Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar, wants the police to probe Rafizi for criminal defamation.
On April 10, Rafizi had held a mock Parliament session at Invoke Space to debate Act 355 after opposition lawmakers were denied their right to speak at the Dewan Rakyat on the last day of the sitting, four days earlier.
During the session, Rafizi claimed there was a risk of corruption and abuse of power by Islamic court judges earning between RM6,000 and RM7,000 who were allowed to send people to jail for 30 years.
“Someone with a lower salary given big powers to jail someone for 30 years – such powers, if not properly managed, opens the door to abuse,” he was reported as saying.
The issue of shariah law entered the limelight after PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang tabled a private member’s bill last year, seeking to amend Act 355 to allow stiffer punishments for shariah offenders.
The increased sentences proposed include a maximum punishment of up to 30 years’ jail, 100 lashes of the cane and a RM100,000 fine.