KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — The father of BFM presenter Aisyah Tajuddin dismissed today the rape and murder threats made against her, saying he is more afraid of the police who appear to be “over-anxious” in investigating his daughter.
Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi, 53, said the video his daughter appeared in on the BFM show Kupas, was merely satire, and should be treated as such.
“If it’s a murder threat or burning from people like Perkasa or Isma, I think we should be careful but if it came from young teenagers, I don’t think there is much to it and if they caught these people, I will not press charges, it’s enough that they will just apologise to my daughter and let them go.
“The one thing I’m afraid is of the police who are over-anxious and over-excited to do their job,” he told reporters at the side-lines of a forum which he attended.
The police said they will investigate the producers and presenter of the show Kupas, following a public uproar over a recent video clip questioning the implementation of hudud in Kelantan.
Inspector-general of police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar told English daily New Straits Times that the video’s creators and its presenter, Aisyah, will be called up for questioning under Section 298 of the Penal Code.
Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah has also urged the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) to investigate Aisyah for criticising hudud, saying her remarks were akin to insulting Islam.
Today, Tajuddin, a former architecture professor at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, said it is unfortunate that people perceive the video as insulting Islam, when the content was mocking political party PAS over its effort to enforce hudud in Kelantan.
“It is a political commentary of one political party trying to gain back the confidence of the people perhaps.
“I think the religious faction is losing ground so they have to up their ante,” he said in his critique of the party.
Moving forward, he said he has advised Aisyah to further her studies in order to arm herself with knowledge so she could be criticised for what she believes in, and not merely over reading a script.
“It’s not about being safe, but once your image is tarnished, you’ve got to recover,” he said.
Aisyah has reportedly received numerous death and rape threats on various online platforms, following outrage over a video titled “Hudud Isi Periuk Nasi? [Kupas]” (Does hudud fill our rice bowls?) that was posted on BFM’s website and YouTube on Thursday.
Internet users have also urged authorities to take action against Aisyah, accusing her of insulting Islam in the video.
In the video, Aisyah points out that even as Kelantan is attempting to implement hudud, the east coast state is facing other problems like its homeless flood victims, as well as increasing drug and divorce cases.
BFM later removed the clip and apologised for any offence caused, saying that it was not meant to question the “desirability” of the Islamic penal code, but that it was a satirical commentary on whether hudud’s implementation should be Kelantan’s top priority in light of economic issues and problems faced by flood victims.
Khalid yesterday ordered a police probe on both BFM over its video criticising hudud as well as those who allegedly threatened to rape and kill Aisyah.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is also investigating the clip under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 over improper use of network facilities.
