PETALING JAYA: Rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) has hit out at Mujahid Yusof Rawa for urging the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to ban transgender entrepreneur Nur Sajat from social media, saying it is a heavy-handed response.
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Mujahid, who is the minister in charge of Islamic affairs, had made the request to MCMC after Nur Sajat’s post on social media showed her wearing the female prayer attire while performing umrah in Mecca.
Mujahid claimed that the post, which prompted an angry reaction from Malaysian social media users, had caused “unease to Muslims”.
However, LFL’s legal coordinator Zaid Malek said that the “unease” felt by a certain group of people was not a valid justification for limiting Nur Sajat’s freedom of speech and expression.
Any action taken against her, he said, would be unconstitutional.
“As a government minister, Mujahid has a duty to protect the fundamental rights of all Malaysians, regardless of their religion or private beliefs.
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“He must not pander to only certain sections of society or vocal members of the public to the exclusion of others,” he said in a statement, adding that like every other Malaysian citizen, Nur Sajat deserved the same protection and respect from the government.
Zaid also said that vulnerable groups such as the transgender community required the government to protect them from hatred and discrimination.
Mujahid’s knee-jerk reaction, he added, would only empower intolerant groups and individuals to further persecute marginalised communities.
Zaid went on to label Mujahid’s call to the MCMC to ban Nur Sajat from posting on social media an “inappropriate treatment from a government minister towards an ordinary citizen”.
“Neither the minister nor his office should have exerted pressure on the MCMC, which like any other regulatory agency, should be allowed to work with independence from government ministers in accordance with their standard operating procedures.”
Yesterday Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Eddin Syazlee Shith told FMT that MCMC had yet to make a decision on the matter. -FMT