Mat Sabu claims trial, bail set at RM15,000
BUTTERWORTH Sept 21 — PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu has claimed trial to a criminal defamation charge of glorifying communist guerrillas at the Sessions Court here this morning The court later set bail at RM15 000 If found guilty of the offence under Section 500 of the Penal Code the PAS leader faces up to two years’ jail a fine or both.
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PKR veep calls charge against Mat Sabu abuse of power
By Melissa Chi September 20 2011
KUALA LUMPUR Sept 20 — PKR Vice President N Surendran demanded today the government and the Attorney-General drop charges against his Pakatan Rakyat PR colleague Mohamad Sabu calling the situation a “gross abuse of police and prosecutorial powers” and a breach of his right to freedom of speech。
“We call upon the government and the Attorney-General not to proceed with the proposed charges against Mohammad Sabu and to make good the prime minister’s promise to make Malaysia the ‘best democracy’。
The human rights lawyer questioned how a comment on a historical event which happened 61 years ago could be punishable as a criminal act “By bringing this charge the Attorney-General has made himself look ridiculous and inept The charge is bizarre and scales the heights of legal nonsense ” he said
Mohamad Sabu will be charged in court tomorrow over remarks allegedly glorifying the communist guerrillas who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950 The PAS deputy president will be charged with public mischief under section 505 of the Penal Code in the Butterworth Sessions Court。
Umno’s Utusan Malaysia had first accused the maverick politician of glorifying Ahmad Indera in an August 27 report that quoted Mohamad as saying that the communist leader was a true hero。
Twenty-five policemen were killed in the attack on the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950 The daily and Malay hardliners in Umno have repeatedly called for Mohamad to be charged over the comment with some even insisting that the PAS leader be stripped of his citizenship。
But Mohamad denies glorifying communists saying he never mentioned the word “communism” in his speech Barisan Nasional had been on the defensive for months following surging inflation and international condemnation of the government’s crackdown on the July 9 Bersih rally。
Najib announced a raft of reforms last week to give Malaysians more freedom but Mohamad’s prosecution may spark fears of a crackdown against dissent “This prosecution is being done because Umno is disturbed by the historical truths unearthed and widely disseminated as a consequence of this controversy ” Surendran said adding that Mat Sabu’s comments had started a debate on whether Umno had single-handedly won independence from the British.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pkr-veep-calls-charge-against-mat-sabu-abuse-of-power/
