Why is Jawi doing this to me, asks Borders manager
Borders bookshop manager breaks down in tears after ‘act of intimidation’
(Free Malaysia Today) – Federal Territory religious authorities have continued to pursue Borders bookshop manager Nik Raina Abdul Aziz by personally serving notice of appeal on her on Friday in what was seen as a further act of intimidation.
Nik Raina, 38, broke down and wept in her office after she received the notice of appeal, which had been served on her instead of through her lawyer, Malaysiakini reported.
Her boss, Yau Su Peng, was quoted as saying: “I can’t help but wonder if that action was meant to further intimidate Nik Raina. She is understandably upset over this.”
Yau is head of Berjaya Books Sdn Bhd, which owns Borders bookshops.
Nik Raina had been charged three years ago by Jawi, the Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Department, with selling a banned book, Iranian author Irshad Manji’s “Allah, Liberty and Love”.
She was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal by the Syariah High Court last month, but the department filed an appeal on Monday.
Nik Raini’s case has gone through both the civil and syariah courts. The civil courts have ruled that Jawi acted illegally and unconstitutionally in raiding Borders and seizing the books six days before the book was banned by the home ministry.
