Last month, the shariah high court found her guilty of contempt of court over her criticism of the shariah court’s decision to impose a jail term on a businessman’s ex-wife, who did not adhere to a court order regarding visitation rights.

Speaking to FMT, Maria’s lawyer, Zeti Zulfah, said the MP is also appealing to overturn her guilty verdict.

“Basically, we are challenging the sentence YB Maria was handed,” she said after filing the appeal at the shariah court of appeal.

“Right now, we have no idea when the hearing will be held or when we will have to file the submissions.

“The court will process the application and let us know the dates later.”

On Sept 5, 2019, Maria issued a statement saying: “Muslim women are still being discriminated (against) under Malaysia’s shariah legal system.”

She had said the shariah court’s decision to sentence former Naza group joint chairman SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin’s former wife, Emilia Hanafi, to seven days in prison for not abiding by a court order regarding Faisal’s visitation rights was a “grave injustice” and a “total disgrace to the judicial system”.

In the shariah high court’s ruling on April 25, judge Fouzi Mokhtar said Maria had failed to justify that her media statement, which was carried on her website and other social media platforms, did not scandalise the Islamic judicial system.

Fouzi, who said Maria came to a “simple” conclusion on Emilia and Faisal’s divorce case without proof, however, allowed the stay of execution of her sentence pending an appeal.

Maria had last year filed a judicial review before the civil High Court seeking to quash the shariah court order that allowed Faisal to initiate contempt proceedings against her, which she claimed was made in bad faith.

The High Court will hear Maria’s bid to commence a legal challenge against the contempt order on May 26.