A Malaysian court delivered a victory for lawyer Siti Zabedah Kasim against the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department and 22 other defendants. High Court Judge Su Tiang Joo awarded the activist RM160,000 after finding evidence of wrongful arrest during a 2016 private fundraising event. The judgment awarded RM100,000 for exemplary damages, RM60,000 for aggravated damages, and RM100,000 toward legal expenses. Judge Su determined that JAWI officers violated proper procedures when they detained Kasim after she left the hotel ballroom.
The court ruled that the defendants committed misfeasance in public office by conducting an improper raid without lawful authority. Kasim brought the civil action in September 2019, arguing that authorities violated her constitutional rights and falsely imprisoned her. She maintained her innocence throughout the legal process, stating she was performing her professional duties as a lawyer. A separate criminal case ended favorably for Kasim in August 2020 when magistrates acquitted her of obstruction charges against public servants.
The court ruled that the defendants committed misfeasance in public office by conducting an improper raid without lawful authority. Kasim brought the civil action in September 2019, arguing that authorities violated her constitutional rights and falsely imprisoned her. She maintained her innocence throughout the legal process, stating she was performing her professional duties as a lawyer. A separate criminal case ended favorably for Kasim in August 2020 when magistrates acquitted her of obstruction charges against public servants.
