Perlis Chief Syariah Judge Mulls Legal Action Against Akberdin

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Perlis chief Syariah judge Ibrahim Deris is mulling legal action against lawyer Akberdin Abdul Kadir, who suggested that he had something to do with a recent sexual harassment allegation against the country's chief Syariah judge Mohd Na'im Mokhtar.
This comes after Akberdin, who is Na'im's legal counsel, told a local Malay daily that Ibrahim (above) had no right to call for Na'im to take garden leave over the sexual harassment allegation.
"For the moment, it suffices to state that the judge (Ibrahim) is procuring legal advice on the matter.
"A detailed press release will be issued in due course once the judge is fully appraised of the facts in this matter," lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali said in a statement made on behalf of Ibrahim today.
Na'im is the country's top syariah judge and director-general of the Syariah Judicial Department.
Recently, the top judge was implicated in a sexual harassment allegation after a married woman lodged a police report, claiming that she found Na'im naked in her bedroom in August 2020.
The incident allegedly happened when Na'im visited the woman's house in Kuala Lumpur, where she lived with her bedridden husband.
The top judge had since denied the allegation, claiming that the woman had lodged a false police report.
Na'im also claimed that there was a conspiracy with the judicial department by certain individuals, whom he alleged were after his job and tried to bring him down.

Lawyer Akberdin Abdul KadirLast week, Ibrahim in his capacity as the president of the Malaysia Syariah Officers Association (PPSM) had issued a press statement saying that the group wanted Na'im to be put on garden leave.
However, on the same day, PPSM deputy president Muhamad Yusro Borhan Nordin had issued a counter-statement, refuting Ibrahim and claiming that it was not the association's stand.
Following this, Akberdin reportedly told Berita Harian yesterday that Ibrahim was not fit to make such a call against Na'im, claiming that the two had a history.
According to the lawyer, Ibrahim allegedly held a grudge against Na'im, who is his boss, after the latter had him transferred from the Federal Territories Syariah Department to the Perlis office.
"Although the PPSM president Ibrahim had filed a suit against my client and the Federal Territories Syariah Department over his transfer to the Syariah Court in Perlis, in November last year, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur had dismissed the case.
"So, maybe that is why he is holding a grudge. And then, in December last year, the woman lodged a police report," Akberdin reportedly said, as quoted by Berita Harian. - Mkini

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