KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has ruled in favour of lawyer and activist Siti Kasim, awarding her RM160,000 in damages after finding her 2016 arrest by the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (JAWI) unlawful.
Judge Su Tiang Joo ordered JAWI, 15 officers, and seven others to pay RM100,000 in exemplary damages, RM60,000 in aggravated damages, and RM100,000 in legal costs.
The court determined that Siti Kasim, whose full name is Siti Zabedah Kasim, was wrongfully detained by JAWI officers after leaving a private fundraising event at a hotel.
The judge stated, “In my considered view, there was misfeasance in public office by the defendants in conducting a raid and apprehending a participant at a state event, without ensuring the lawful exercise of their powers, thereby causing unnecessary fear and discomfort.”
Siti Kasim filed the lawsuit in September 2019, alleging false imprisonment, misfeasance in public office, and a breach of her constitutional right to personal liberty.
She maintained that she was performing her duties as a lawyer and did not obstruct any officers.
Earlier, on August 21, 2020, the Magistrates’ Court acquitted her of obstructing public servants, ruling insufficient evidence under Section 186 of the Penal Code. - Bernama
