Siti Nuramira Abdullah, a 27-year old stand-up comedian, pleaded guilty to charges of uttering words with the deliberate intention of hurting the feelings of others. She was charged with insulting Islam during her performance at the Crackhouse Comedy Club in June 2022 after she took off her headscarf and baju kurung.

Initially, she had pleaded not guilty to the charge under Section 298A of the Penal Code, which deals with causing disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred, or ill will, or prejudicing the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion. However, she changed her plea after the prosecution offered an alternative charge under Section 298 of the same code. The maximum punishment for this charge is one year imprisonment or a fine or both upon conviction.

Timeline of Events

June 2022: Siti Nuramira Abdullah performs at the Crackhouse Comedy Club, during which she allegedly disrobes from her baju kurung and takes off her tudung after claiming to have memorized 15 juzuk (chapters) of the Quran.

July 9, 2022: Siti Nuramira Abdullah is arrested and held at Jalan Gasing, PJ for three days, while her boyfriend, V Alexander Navin, is held until July 10.

July 13, 2022: Siti Nuramira Abdullah claims trial to a charge under Section 298A of the Penal Code for causing disharmony, disunity, enmity, hatred, ill-will, or prejudicing maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion, between persons or groups of persons professing the same or different religions. If convicted, she could face up to five years in jail.

March 2023: The trial is postponed due to Siti Nuramira Abdullah’s gastroenteritis.

April 17, 2023: The trial resumes and Siti Nuramira Abdullah changes her plea to guilty.

Crackhouse Comedy Club Host Testifies

Muhammad Asyraf Kamal Musthaffa, a host at the Crackhouse Comedy Club, testified at the trial that Siti Nuramira Abdullah broke the “3R Rule” by taking off her baju kurung and tudung to reveal a skimpy outfit underneath during her performance. He claimed that he had briefed her not to touch on the topics of “race, religion, and royalty” before the performance. Although he was shocked by her performance, he remained calm as it was his duty as the show’s host.

Siti Nuramira Abdullah and V Alexander Navin’s Bail

Siti Nuramira Abdullah and V Alexander Navin’s bail of RM20,000 was raised through crowdfunding with the help of an NGO or the Lawyers for Liberty (LFL). The media reported that the two were in a relationship.

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