Groups say no to ‘tainted’ Shahidan in panel for children, women

Shahidan Kassim in court when he was charged with child molest. Several groups feel he has not been acquitted of the charges and should not sit on the parliamentary select committee. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Two rights groups have protested against the appointment of Arau MP Shahidan Kassim as a member of the parliamentary special select committee on women, children affairs and social development, even as its chairman distanced herself from the choice of members.

In a joint statement, StandUp Malaysia and Monsters Among Us pointed out that Shahidan has not been cleared after being charged in a child molest case in 2019. He was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.

“This committee’s duty is to protect the rights of women and children in Malaysia, and we discourage any member who has been accused of sexual offences to be a part of the committee who does not believe in the significance of the parliamentary select committee itself,” they said.

They also urged the committee’s chairman, Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Azalina Othman Said, to explain and justify Shahidan’s appointment.

Others in the committee are Kota Samarahan MP Rubiah Wang (GPS), Kemaman MP Che Alias Hamid (PAS), Pasir Puteh MP Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh (PAS), Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh (PKR) and Lanang MP Alice Lau (DAP).

When contacted, Azalina, who is the chairman of this special committee, said she had no say on the appointment of MPs into select committees which is done by the Speaker’s office with the recommendation of the respective party whips.

“I understand the meeting for the selection with all party representatives was done in the middle of last month.

“The special committee met yesterday for the sole purpose of selecting a chairman. And I was selected. The opposition MPs including Alice Lau did not raise any objection,” she told FMT.

Asked for her personal view on Shahidan’s appointment in view of his “baggage,” Azalina said it was a party stand, declining to comment further.

The groups objected to his new post, saying investigations on his child molest charges were incomplete and that he initially opposed the formation of the select committee, as revealed by Lanang MP Lau.

Earlier today, Lau tweeted that Shahidan and Bintulu MP Tiong King Sing were two of the seven committee members who had rejected the select committee during the early stages of approval.

“He (Shahidan) rejected the select committee and now he is in the committee,” she said.

FMT has reached out to Shahidan and is awaiting for comments.

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Groups say no to ‘tainted’ Shahidan in panel for children, women

Child molest case loom over appointment but chairman Azalina Othman says she has no say on who sits on the committee.