Nazri denies selective prosecution

KUALA LUMPUR, The arrest of controversial ex-Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin last night provoked a debate on “selective prosecution” in Parliament this morning even as he was facing charges for allegedly holding an Islamic lecture in Selangor without a permit.

“The minister said there's no selective prosecution... but why was Dr Asri arrested?” said the Umno MP for Kalabakan, Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh, in a question directed at Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of law and parliamentary affairs.

Nazri was taken aback at the unexpected attack from his fellow Barisan Nasional (BN) colleague.

“I actually don't know about this case,” he admitted.

“I don't want to accuse anyone of selective prosecution,” he said, after regaining his composure.

“But we know that in a state, if we want to give a lecture, especially on Islam, we need permission first,” the Padang Renggas MP added.

The straight-talking Mohd Asri was briefly held at a religious lecture in Ampang last night on claims he had held a public lecture without a permit from the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS).

He was freed at 1.10am on police bail but ordered to turn up for further questioning at the Gombak JAIS office later in the morning.

The maverick Islamic scholar, who had recently returned from further studies in Britain and is being courted by Islamist party PAS to join them, is claiming blatant persecution.

During Question Time earlier, Nazri denied that the federal government practised “selective prosecution”.

Kubang Kerian PAS MP Salahuddin Ayub had noted the increasing public perception that the government had acted with bias in charging certain parties with legal action, based on a book “Malaysia: Sejarah Kenegaraan dan Politik”.

He wanted to know what the government was doing to counter the public's poor impression of the judicial system and the national anti-graft body.

He noted that even the BN MP for Sri Gading had last week attacked the government for its poor performance in dealing with graft.

“Is it because the salary is not enough? Do they need new incentives?” Salahuddin asked, before adding: “Or a new government to solve this problem?”

Nazri replied that the book cited by Salahuddin dealt with the past, before the age of the Internet when “many things could happen and be hidden”.

He pointed out the present was different because there was greater freedom of expression, as proven by the publication of the very same book held up by Salahuddin.

“On selective prosecution, there's none,” he said.

He defended the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), pointing out that the anti-graft body was “colour blind” when carrying out its duty.

Nazri noted that in the past, 12 men from the ruling coalition had been arrested for corruption compared to only one from the federal opposition.

“Don't tell me we must arrest 100 per cent Barisan Nasional to show there's no selective prosecution?

“Unless you feel there's no corruption in Pakatan Rakyat. That's impossible,” he lobbed back at the PAS MP.