PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu was this morning charged with criminal defamation in a Butterworth Sessions Court for challenging the official account of the 1950 Bukit Kepong incident at a ceramah in Tasek Gelugor on Aug 21.

azlan Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, was charged under Section 500 of the Penal Code for defaming the dead police personnel who were killed while defending themselves at the Bukit Kepong police station and their families (principal charge), and the aggrieved parties (alternative charge) who lodged police reports against him.

Judge Ikmal Hishan Mohd Tajuddin fixed Oct 27 for mention of the case and Dec 5-9 for trial.

Bail was set at RM15,000.

Mohammad Hanafiah Zakaria, Ishak Mohd Yusoff and Suhaimi Ibrahim are prosecuting, while Hanipa is Maidin is appearing for Mat Sabu.

Mohammad Hanafiah had initially asked for bail to be fixed at RM50,000 but Hanipa asked for the minimum sum of RM15,000, saying he was confident his client would be present in court whenever required.

NONE Outside court, Mat Sabu supporters raised money among themselves for his bail ( right ).

Asked to comment later, Mat Sabu said: "This case is about the interpretation of history and should be resolved through dialogue and debate, not by the court. However, since it is a court case, we will have to face it."

He said the government is losing ground among the youth and has to deal with him by using physical force and legal means.

Charge 'ludicrous'

Mat Sabu's deputy defence counsel Aminuddin Zulkifli said his team has yet to receive documents pertaining to the case.

penang dap headquaters splash by red paint 140811 chow kon yeow "It seems that the prosecutors were more interested in trying to push up the amount of the bail," he added.

Penang DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow (right) , who was present, said the charge against Mat Sabu is "politically motivated" and has no basis whatsoever.

He said the case has dealt another "cruel blow" to democracy and that the premier's reform speech rings hollow when the promised "transformations" are blatantly contradicted and violated by actions such as the "ludicrous criminal charge" against Mat Sabu.

"How can Najib claim Malaysia to be the best democracy in the world when his government uses bully tactics in silencing people who do not agree with or offer alternative interpretations to their monopolised account of history?" he asked.

pengukir nama johor mat sabu pas pc 060911 "I find this episode saddening, though not entirely shocking, and would like to offer my best wishes to Mat Sabu, who I believe will fight handsomely against this injustice."

On Aug 27, Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia published several reports that Mat Sabu had praised the communists who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950, leaving 26 people dead.

"But history has been covered up. Jins Samsuddin, who made the (Bukit Kepong) film, is an Umno (member). His story of Bukit Kepong (said that) those who attacked the police station were criminals..." Mat Sabu was quoted as saying.

NONE The reports further alleged that the PAS deputy president had treated Mat Indera as a freedom fighter.

Mat Sabu has since claimed that Utusan had grossly distorted his words and has filed a defamation suit against Utusan Malaysia .

His speech also sparked debate between BN and the opposition on the country's independence history and whether Malaya was ever colonised.

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