SHAH ALAM – Lawyer and activist Latheefa Koya has slammed Religious Affairs Minister Datuk Na’im Mokhtar over his threats to file Syariah offence charges against Wan Sabrina Wan Rusli, also known as Sabronzo from girl group Dolla.
Latheefa said ministers have no authority to investigate or prosecute citizens and Na’im’s actions have publicly shamed the singer.
Latheefa, a former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Commissioner, described that prosecutions, whether civil or Syariah, were determined solely by the prosecuting authority following a fair and impartial investigation by the relevant bodies.
She emphasised that under the Constitution, the Attorney-General, as Public Prosecutor, holds exclusive power to decide whether to pursue criminal charges, while Islamic law prosecutions fall under state religious authorities.
Her comments came in the wake of Universal Music Malaysia’s decision to remove Dolla’s latest music video, Question, from all official platforms.
The video, released on Nov 6, had drawn criticism from conservative social media users due to the members’ revealing attire.
Na’im had said he was considering filing Syariah charges against Sabronzo and would review whether Dolla had breached any regulations or Syariah enactments.
In response, Latheefa described the minister’s “tirade” against the singer as prejudicial to her fundamental right to a fair investigation and trial.
She also criticised the broader backlash to the video and Sabronzo’s appearance as “sensationalist”, stating that it reflected a “distasteful obsession with female purity, whilst ignoring harmful misogynistic attitudes in society.”
“It would be best if Na’im focuses on real problems instead of scrutinising Dolla’s performances,” she added.