BBC Homepage
  • Skip to content
  • Accessibility Help
  • Your account
  • Notifications
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • More menu
More menu
Search BBC
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
Close menu
BBC News
Menu
  • Home
  • InDepth
  • Israel-Gaza war
  • War in Ukraine
  • Climate
  • UK
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Culture
More
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Health
  • Family & Education
  • In Pictures
  • Newsbeat
  • BBC Verify
  • Disability
  • Trending

The perils of speaking out against Islamic law in Malaysia

  • Published
    29 March 2015
Share page
About sharing
A satirical video poking fun at an Islamic party went viral in Malaysia - but the journalist who made it is facing threats and a police investigationImage source, BFM / Facebook
Image caption,

A video poking fun at an Islamic party went viral in Malaysia - but the journalist who made it is facing threats and a police investigation

ByBBC Trending
What's popular and why

A satirical video has exposed the sensitivity over Islamic law in Malaysia - as well as the limits of online speech in the country.

It was supposed to be a light-hearted poke at proposals to expand Islamic law in one state in Malaysia. But a video starring journalist Aisyah Tajuddin resulted in death and rape threats along with a police investigation.

It all began when the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (known by its Malay acronym PAS) proposed implementing hudud laws on Muslims in Kelantan, a mostly rural state in the northeast of the country.

Hudud laws cover prohibitions against things such as adultery, apostasy, robbery and theft, and prescribe punishments considered cruel or unusual in most Western countries: public beatings, stoning, amputation and public execution. They're also relatively uncommon in most Muslim nations with the exception of those such as Saudi Arabia or Iran which follow the most strict interpretations of Islamic sharia law.

Aisyah, a journalist with independent radio station BFM, mocked the party in a video titled "Hudud: A Rice Bowl Issue". As she crosses an imaginary border into Kelantan, a headscarf appears on her head. Finding a rock instead of rice in a packet of food, she tosses it away and shrugs, saying "Oh well, we have hudud, don't we?" and giving an ironic thumbs up. Her point? That instead of Islamic law, the PAS should be more concerned with issues such as the economy and reconstruction after severe floods in the region.

In the video, Aisyah "crosses the border" into Kelantan and finds herself involuntarily donning a headscarfImage source, BFM / Facebook
Image caption,

In the video, Aisyah "crosses the border" into Kelantan and finds herself involuntarily donning a headscarf

BFM Radio removed the video from its YouTube page the day after it was posted, but not before it went viral and was copied and pasted elsewhere on Facebook and YouTube. On just two of the more popular, external Facebook pages it has been viewed, external more than 780,000 times in total.

But along with the viral hit though came a huge backlash. One particularly threatening thread on Facebook started with the comment: "Those who insult the laws of Allah, their blood is halal for killing." Others came to the journalist's defence. "Making you feel offended means you can rape and kill that person....brother, do you think you need to do some self reflection and soul searching..?" commented Chiam Soon King on the Sisters In Islam Facebook page, external.

But some said the video was wrong even as they condemned the threats levelled at Aisyah. "It's still wrong to make a death threat or rape or all those barbaric acts, my point is she crossed the line and should share the blame as well. Think first," said Wan Kori.

Threats are not the end of it for the journalist - Aisyah is now being investigated by police for blasphemy, and could face up to a year in jail if convicted, external.

Sedition Act

Aisyah wasn't the only person to get caught up in the controversy. The issue touched off a row online between lawyer and activist Michelle Yesudas and the country's top policeman, Inspector General Khalid Abu Bakar.

In a series of messages, external, Yesudas demanded to know, external what Khalid would do about the threats against Aisyah. "Because I am positively terrified that these crazy, rape-frenzied people are actually the majority in my country," she wrote.

Khalid's response was to pull Yesudas into police headquarters for questioning, external under Malaysia's colonial-era Sedition Act.

Campaigner Michelle Yesudas was questioned after confronting police about the case.Image source, Twitter/MichelleYesudas
Image caption,

Campaigner Michelle Yesudas was questioned after confronting police about the case

Human rights groups have criticised the Malaysian police's use of the act to crack down on those critical of the government. Twenty-nine people have been arrested or investigated under the law so far in 2015, compared to 23 in the whole of 2014, according to Amnesty International.

Khalid himself has tweeted that police take comments critical of Islam seriously, external and "had no choice" but to act against them. Previously he warned Malaysians, external: "Be careful about speaking about something. Don't speak words that will invite @PDRMsia [the police] to take action. Dare to speak, dare to face the consequences."

Human Rights Watch's Asia deputy director, Phil Robertson, has said Khalid "patrols the Twittersphere like a shark in open water, external", and opposition politicians have accused him of selective prosecution. Khalid has denied the accusations.

As for the implementation of hudud law - it's actually very unlikely. Kelantan's state assembly has approved the proposals, but it's doubtful that PAS has enough support to gain parliamentary approval.

Blog by Tse Yin Lee

Next story: Thousands defend Top Gear producer from abuse

Or maybe you'd like to watch: The Somali woman who's an Instagram star

You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, external, and find us on Facebook, external. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.

Top stories

  • Trump suggests Starmer could use military to control UK borders

    • Published
      3 hours ago
  • Chris Mason: Delight and relief in government after state visit

    • Published
      42 minutes ago
  • Trump diverted and forced to swap helicopters on way to Stansted

    • Published
      3 hours ago

More to explore

  • 'Use troops to stop boats' and 'Chequers mates'

    A composite image of the front pages of The Sun and Metro. "Use troops to stop boats" reads the headline of the former and "Chequers mates" reads the headline of the latter.
  • Why France is at risk of becoming the new sick man of Europe

    Two edited images of Emmanuel Macron and people taking part in a demonstration at the Place de la Republique square
  • Weekly quiz: Why were these nuns on the run?

    Three elderly nuns smile as they stand in front of the monastery, wearing their habits. Sister Rita on the left and Sister Regina in the centre both wear glasses, while Sister Bernadette on the right does not.
  • Top Fortnite streamer Ninja tells BBC: Trolls mock me for being less popular

    Ninja
  • Royals, Maga and tech CEOs: What we learned from state banquet guest list

    A long dining table with dignitaries seated down either side is seen in a banquet hall, with staff and press against the walls.
  • The Summer I Turned Pretty to conclude with feature film

    Lola Tung, left, wears a low cut silver dress as she places her right hand on teh shoulder of her I Turned Pretty co-star Christopher Briney on a red carpet. Behind them is a poster that says The Summer I Turned Pretty: The Movie.
  • 'Slot-age time' - breaking down Liverpool's late success

    • Attribution
      Sport
    A composition graphic of Arne Slot, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah celebrate some of Liverpool's late winners
  • Joy Crookes 'let go' of perfectionism - her music is better for it

    A spotlight picks Joy Crookes out of a crowd in a nightclub, in a promo shot for her new album
  • Leonardo DiCaprio on why his new film addresses 'divisiveness in our culture'

    Leonardo DiCaprio attends the "One Battle After Another" London Premiere at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on September 16, 2025 in London, England
loading elsewhere stories

Most read

  1. 1

    Trump diverted and forced to swap helicopters on way to Stansted

  2. 2

    'Use troops to stop boats' and 'Chequers mates'

  3. 3

    Why France is at risk of becoming the new sick man of Europe

  4. 4

    Trump suggests Starmer could use military to control UK borders

  5. 5

    Chris Mason: Delight and relief in government after state visit

  6. 6

    Corbyn and Sultana clash over new party membership

  7. 7

    Scientists pinpoint the brain's internal mileage clock

  8. 8

    MI6 launches dark web portal to attract spies in Russia

  9. 9

    Sally Rooney says she cannot enter UK in case of arrest

  10. 10

    Spectacular autumn leaves expected after warm UK summer

    • Attribution
      Weather

BBC News Services

  • On your mobile
  • On smart speakers
  • Get news alerts
  • Contact BBC News

Best of the BBC

  • Stacey and Joe welcome you back to Pickle Cottage

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Stacey & Joe
  • What's the future of home parcel delivery?

    • Attribution
      Sounds
  • The state of the UK-US special relationship examined

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Panorama: Trump and Starmer
  • A couple's search for the Croydon cat killer

    • Attribution
      Sounds
    Illuminated: The Cat Killer Detectives
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • Terms of Use
  • About the BBC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility Help
  • Parental Guidance
  • Contact the BBC
  • Make an editorial complaint
  • BBC emails for you

Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.