Brothers sentenced to 5 years jail each for church burning

Brothers sentenced to 5 years jail each for church burning

Malaysia Chronicle

The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court has found two brothers Raja Muhammad Faizal Raja Ibrahim and Raja Muhammad Idzham guilty of fire-torching the Metro Tabernacle Church in Selangor, the first place of worship to be desecrated in connection with the controversial Allah ban.

According to Judge Komathy Suppiah, the defence failed to raise any doubts and their evidence was contradictory and inconsistent.

She sentenced them to five years jail each and allowed their application for a stay of execution. However, bail was raised from RM10,000 to RM20,000 each.

“The defence failed to raise a reasonable doubt. I find both the first and second accused guilty of the charge,” ruled Komathy.

"The testimony by their friend that the two were involved in a barbecue is also in doubt. It is a fabrication and afterthought. “

The real perpetrators are still out there

The brothers had claimed that they sustained burn injuries while setting up a barbecue at their friend Hamzan Zainal Abidin’s house.

But other key witnesses said the pair told them they had sustained the injuries while burning rubbish. Kuala Lumpur Hospital’s Dr Lim Chee Kean, who treated Raja Muhammad Faizal, and a policeman who had recorded Hamzan’s statement, both said the trio did not mention any barbecue in their earlier testimonies.

“Witness Hamzan has further weakened the defence’s case. I find his evidence completely unconvincing and unbelievable,” said Komathy.

Meanwhile, counsel for the brothers Hanif Hashim reiterated his disappointment as the witness - a teacher - who claimed to have seen the arsonists did not have a clear view of the perpetrators.

"The actual perpetrators are still out there," Hanif said. "My clients were merely arrested at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital."

Allan ban

Malaysia hit the international headlines early this year after the country was wracked by a series of attacks using Molotov-cocktails and stones against places of worship.

The disorder came about following a December High Court ruling lifting the Home Ministry's ban on the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims.

The surprise court ruling was immediately played up by hawks in the ruling Umno party to rally support from the Malay community. Prime Minister Najib Razak and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein both gave the green to mass protests to be held at mosques.

The move stirred up the worst bout of religious and racial sentiments since the riots of May 13, 1969.