Latest news with #ZamriVinoth
Malaysiakini
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
MIC ropes in Zamri Vinoth to outflank DAP in Indian issues row
MIC and DAP are locked in a war of words over allegations that the Madani government has failed to address the plight of the Indian community. Escalating the row, MIC Youth chief K Arvind enlisted controversial Muslim preacher Zamri Vinoth to spotlight what he called DAP's ineffectiveness.
Malaysiakini
5 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Indian MPs unite, slam AGC's decision on Muslim preachers
Four Indian MPs from MIC, DAP, and PKR have strongly criticised the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) over its decision not to prosecute Muslim preachers Zamri Vinoth and Firdaus Wong. In a rare show of unity, MIC deputy president and Tapah MP M Saravanan, Klang MP V Ganabatirau (DAP), along with PKR MPs P Prabakaran (Batu) and S Kesavan (Sungai Siput), held a joint press conference in Parliament to express their dissatisfaction. The MPs rejected the AGC's explanation of...
Focus Malaysia
5 days ago
- Politics
- Focus Malaysia
Human rights NGO joins MIC to slam authorities' reluctance to act against Zamri Vinoth, Firdaus Wong
FACT: There were 900 or more police reports lodged against controversial Muslim convert preachers Zamri Vinoth and Firdaus Wong over provocative and inflammatory remarks. Fact: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has declared that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute these individuals. The fall-out? A widespread perception that there is selective prosecution pertaining to 3R (race, religion and royalty) matters. That is the contention by Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF) and the MIC. In a recent statement to the Dewan Rakyat arliament, Azalina revealed that the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) would not file charges due to 'insufficient evidence' – a decision that has reignited widespread public disquiet over how Malaysia handles religiously sensitive cases, especially when minority communities are the target. Just how did the learned minister come to this conclusion when both individuals have made remarks that were widely seen and shared on social media, not least Zamri's offensive statement equating kavadi bearers to drunkards? Such statements caused great outrage not just among the Hindu community but also among other minority Malaysians. That such remarks go unpunished reinforces the view that certain individuals have carte blanche to do as they wish. Glaring double standards The laws of the land, racial harmony and 3R sensitivities be damned. 'When justice appears selective, it ceases to be justice,' argued GHRF president S. Shashi Kumar. 'A judiciary that applies the law unevenly undermines its own legitimacy. The law must protect every Malaysian equally without fear or favour, regardless of race or religion.' Echoing MIC, the GHRF claimed that this issue went beyond the two individuals. 'The broader issue is not just about two individuals but the perception that the law is being selectively enforced,' fumed the human rights activist. 'In cases involving perceived insults to Islam or the monarchy, authorities are often swift to investigate, detain and prosecute, sometimes within hours. Yet when minorities are targeted, investigations are prolonged, explanations vague and charges rare.' Such blatant selective prosecution will only embolden the right-wing faction that seek to sow the seeds of discord. It means that individuals such as Zamri and Firdaus are free to continue thumbing their noses at minority groups knowing that they are protected under the flimsy guise of 'insufficient evidence'. For minority Malaysians, the message this sends out is disheartening and quite simply offensive in itself. The laws of the land can be treated with impunity and the sentiments of minority groups are of little or no consequence. Such inaction underlines that a Malaysian Malaysia remain just a pipedream. Earlier, MIC president Tan Sri V.A. Vigneswaran shared a similar sentiment when he argued that the 3R principle is not a legal tool to defend the sanctity of only one religion. On the contrary, it exists 'to preserve religious harmony, public order and social cohesion across all communities in our diverse, multi-religious nation.' It was also pointed out that this was NOT the case in neighbouring Indonesia despite the country being the world's most populous Muslim nation which has barred global celebrity Indian preacher Zakir Naik from public-speaking. Contrast this with Malaysia where not only is this agent provocateur is allowed to give his sermons but is widely celebrated with politicians and senior religious figures attending his ceramah. – July 24, 2025
Malaysiakini
6 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Academic: Redirect anger over preacher pair, not at AGC
Academic Tajuddin Rasdi believes public anger from non-Muslims over Muslim preachers Zamri Vinoth and Firdaus Wong is misdirected, and should be 'recontextualised, not towards the Attorney-General's Chambers, but other parties instead'. 'I have heard these two personalities speak, and it is difficult to charge them with 3R (race, religion, and royalty) when what they say stems from simplistic and uncontextualized religious interpretations of the Quran and Hadith,' he told Malaysiakini. The professor of architecture explained that a key issue lies in how clerics are...
Malaysiakini
6 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Hindu lawyers urge AGC to revisit probes on preachers Zamri, Firdaus
The Malaysian Hindu Lawyers Association (MHLA) today urged the attorney-general (AG) to review the investigation papers concerning controversial Muslim preachers Zamri Vinoth and Firdaus Wong. In a statement today, its president RV Lingam said it was surprising that despite police having opened investigation files on the pair, the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) decided not to prosecute due to insufficient evidence to establish an offence.
