Activist charged with sedition rearrested
Just moments after Ali Abd Jalil was charged under the Sedition Act at a sessions court in Selayang, Selangor, this morning, the social activist was immediately re-arrested for another charge under the same law.
"My client was arrested before my own eyes and taken to another sessions court in Shah Alam on another similar charge. He will be charged at 3pm," Ali's lawyer Michelle Yesudas said.
Just moments after Ali Abd Jalil was charged under the Sedition Act at a sessions court in Selayang, Selangor, this morning, the social activist was immediately re-arrested for another charge under the same law.
"My client was arrested before my own eyes and taken to another sessions court in Shah Alam on another similar charge. He will be charged at 3pm," Ali's lawyer Michelle Yesudas said.
In the court in Selayang earlier, Ali ( left ) pleaded not guilty to the charge under Section 4(1) (c), which makes it an offence to print, publish, sell, distribute or reproduce any seditious publication.
Sessions judge Ahmad Fairuz Mohd Fuzi allowed bail of RM5,000, on one surety.
Immediately after Ali posted bail and was released from the court lock-up, he was arrested as he stepped out of the court house.
He was told that he was to be charged again, under the same Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act.
The charge this time was for vulgarities he allegedly made against the Sultan of Selangor over the menteri besar crisis.
If found guilty, Ali faces a fine of up to RM5,000, imprisonment of up to three years, or both for the first offence.
He also faces a stiffer penalty if he is found guilty on both charges, as subsequent offences provide for imprisonment of up to five years.
Ali is among several opposition politicians and activists who have been charged under the Sedition Act in a recent crackdown.
Dragnet continues
At least three opposition politicians have been charged with committing sedition in the last month, namely Padang Serai MP N Surendran, Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad and Seri Delima state assemblyperson RSN Rayer.
Law lecturer Azmi Sharom ( left ) became the first academician to be hit with a sedition charge on Sept 2.
Since then, the dragnet expanded with sedition probes against Malaysiakini journalist Susan Loone and a preacher who criticised the police.
Other politicians and activists charged or convicted of sedition this year include Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Batu MP Tian Chua, the late Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh and social activist Muhammad Safwan Anang.
Several more individuals are also being investigated for sedition, including Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang and Johor PKR vice-chief Hassan Karim.
Despite the crackdown, the Prime Minister' Office (PMO) has insisted in a statement that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's promise to abolish the Sedition Act was still on track.
The PMO disclaimed responsibility for the sedition charging spree, claiming that it was purely a court matter .
However, Najib in his speech to civil servants this morning appeared to waiver on his 2012 pledge to repeal the Sedition Act, stating that whether the colonial era law would be repealed or not needed to be "discussed" first.
However, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin declared yesterday that the planned repeal of the Sedition Act is not final despite his boss Najib 's pledge to abolish the colonial era law.
"The government has not made any decision yet to abolish the Act, replace it with a new Act or amend the current Act," Muhyiddin was quoted as saying by Bernama, when launching the Batu Umno division delegates meeting yesterday.
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