Home Minister, govt get stay of execution over return of Christian CDs

Home Minister and the Government of Malaysia succeeded in getting a stay of execution of a court ruling for eight compact discs (CDs) on Christianity containing the word 'Allah' to be returned to a Christian woman.

High Court Judge Datuk Asmabi Mohamad made the decision in chambers in the presence of senior federal counsel Munahyza Mustafa and Andi Razalijaya A. Dadi, who represented the Home Minister and the government, as well as lawyers Lim Heng Seng and Annou Xavier, who represented the woman, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill.

Speaking to reporters later, Andi said the court allowed the application for a stay of execution against the decision made by the High Court here on July 21 last year as the case was scheduled to be heard by the Court of Appeal on Feb 10.

"In this case, there exist special circumstances that enabled the court to grant the stay," he said.

On July 21, 2014, High Court Judge Datuk Zaleha Yusof allowed Bill's application for a mandamus order against the then (2008) Home Minister to return the CDs that were confiscated from her.

Zaleha also allowed Bill's application to revoke the decision of the Home Ministry in confiscating the CDs from her and for a judicial review of the ministry's action.

The CDs were seized from Bill on May 11, 2008 at the old low-cost carrier terminal in Sepang.

The CDs, which bear titles like "Cara Menggunakan Kunci Kerajaan Allah", "Cara Hidup Dalam Kerajaan Allah" and "Ibadah Yang Benar Dalam Kerajaan Allah", were brought in from Indonesia.

Bill, a clerk, filed the application for a judicial review on Aug 20, 2008.