Lawyer Akberdin Abdul Kader told reporters that SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin is seeking to intervene in Maria’s judicial review application after he was not named as a co-respondent in the proceedings.

“He was the one who started contempt proceedings (against Maria) before the shariah courts,” Akberdin said.

High Court judge Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh fixed Jan 19 to hear SM Faisal’s bid to intervene.

Earlier this year, the shariah high court here sentenced Maria to seven days’ jail for contempt of court over her Sept 5, 2019 statement in which she claimed that “Muslim women are still being discriminated (against) under Malaysia’s shariah legal system”.

She had claimed that the shariah court’s decision to sentence SM Faisal’s former wife, Emilia Hanafi, to imprisonment for rescheduling his visits with their children a “grave injustice” and a “total disgrace to the judicial system”.

Her comments prompted SM Faisal to file his application to initiate contempt proceedings in the shariah court against her.

On Aug 22, the High Court allowed Maria to begin judicial review proceedings to quash the shariah court’s contempt order dated Oct 14, 2019.

She claims the order was made in bad faith.