Cops query SIS over Kartika issue

(Bernama) – Two representatives of Sisters in Islam (SIS) gave their statements to Bukit Aman’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) today on a police report lodged against SIS in Kuantan over the Kartika Sari Dewi Soekarno issue.

SIS executive director Hamidah Marican and its board member Zainah Anwar were called in to give their statements for an investigation under Section 4(i) (a) of the Sedition Act by the CID at 10.35am.

The two, accompanied by lawyers, spent almost two hours at the CID’s legal prosecution division, according to SIS Programme Manager (Research and Publications) Masjaliza Hamzah.

“SIS hopes that after recording these statements, the police will recommend that no further action be taken against the organisation. We would like to reiterate that within the framework of a democratic society, there must be an open, responsible, rational and respectful dialogue on Islam and its impact on our lives both private and public,” she said in a statement here.

According to media reports, 14 non-governmental organisations in Pahang in referring to a local newspaper report of a press conference held on Sept 30, urged the authorities to punish those who questioned Kartika’s caning sentence.

Kartika, who is the first woman to be sentenced to caning for the offence of consuming alcohol, has consented to the punishment and is waiting for it to be carried out.

Kartika was recently fined RM5,000 and ordered to caned six times by the Kuantan Syariah High Court after she pleaded guilty of the offence at a hotel in Kuantan last year.