SHAH ALAM: The Syariah Appeal Court here today dismissed leave for appeal against a Klang Syariah High Court decision last year that reduced a fine of RM2,900 to RM1,900 on Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad for teaching Islam without credentials.
The unanimous decision was made by three panel of judges chaired by Datuk Aidi Moktar.
Aidi, in his judgment said the sharie prosecutor failed to fulfil the threshold under Section 167(1) of the Shariah Criminal Procedure (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003 to obtain leave.
"Based on the Enactment, the applicant does not show to the court how the reasons for the leave application may be related to public interest," he said.
In January 19 last year, the Klang Syariah Court slapped RM2,900 fine on Khalid after he was found guilty of violating Section 119 (1) of the Selangor Islamic Religious Administration Enactment 2003 for delivering a talk on his visit to Palestine in 2011 at Taman Seri Sementa surau in Klang, on August 16 the same year.
However, on Nov 24, Khalid filed an appeal at the Syariah High Court which decided to reduce the fine to only RM1,900.
The decision today will allow him to remain in his post as an elected representative and to stand in the coming general election (GE14),
This is based on Article 48 (1) (e) of the Federal Constitution which stated that MPs will be disqualified for five years, if they are convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for more than one year or a fine of more than RM2,000.