Activists are rallying to raise RM26,000 a month to support the families of the 13 who were sentenced to 10 months jail for a February 2009 demonstration against the BN takeover of Perak.

The 13 aged between 27 to 60 were sent to jail immediately after the Court of Appeal today found them guilty and sentenced them to 10 months’ jail and RM5,000 fine each.

The mooted ‘Freedom Fund’ hopes to get the support of 520 people to pledge RM50 a month for 10 months, so each of the demonstrators’ families will receive RM2,000 while their breadwinners are behind bars.

“Before we do that, we want to be sure that there is enough support. We will start working on the structure to see if we can get at least 130 people to pledge within 72 hours, ending at 1.30pm on March 21.

“So, will you be one of the 520 Malaysians in solidarity in pledging RM50 a month?” asked social activist Wong Chin Huat who was in 2009 also arrested for protesting the Perak coup.

Posting the call of action on his Facebook page , Wong said Bersih 2.0 vice chairperson Thomas Fann will oversee the fund.

“(We will) ensure the proper structure, including bank accounts, trustees and liaison with families, to ensure transparency and accountability.”

The 13 PAS supporters sent to jail today are:

  • Mohd Faiz Mohd Arshad, 27;
  • Zulhaizam Zulkifli, 30;
  • Meor Safizal Meor Mohamed Amin, 40;
  • Adi Hilmee Mohd Nasir, 45;
  • Mohamed Ismail S.M Abdul Kadir, 48;
  • Bad Latif Mansor, 48;
  • Mohamad Nazeer Hameed, 49;
  • Khairul Azmi Hassan Basr, 49;
  • Mohd Hasri Ismail, 49;
  • Yusuf Jaafar, 49;
  • Idris Mohd Thaib 49;
  • Suhana Abdullah, 50; and
  • Isha Riduan Ishak, 60.
Supporters plan to gather at the Kajang prison for a solidarity vigil tonight at 8.30pm.

Jail term reduced

 

A three-member Court of Appeal panel chaired by Mohtarudin Baki, while maintaining the Sessions Court's decision to find them guilty on the charge, reduced the initial two-year jail term to 10 months, Bernama reported.

Judge Abdul Rahman Sebli, who was also on the panel said Article 10(b) of the federal constitution allows peaceful assembly but the Perak demonstration caused disorder because it was meant to halt a menteri besar’s swearing-in ceremony.

The PAS Perak government was toppled in 2009 when two PKR assemblypersons and a DAP assemblyperson left their respective parties to become independents.

Then Perak sultan, Sultan Azlan Shah refused the PAS Menteri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin’s ( right ) request to dissolve the state assembly and told Nizar and his cabinet to resign.

Sultan Azlan cited discretion under the Perak state constitution, after deeming that Nizar no longer enjoyed the support of the House.

Nizar refused to resign, but was kicked out of office when the sultan instructed Zambry to form the new government and swore Zambry in on Feb 6, 2009.

Nizar took the matter to court but the Federal Court in February 2010 maintained that Zambry is the lawful MB.

Zambry is now second term Perak MB after BN won the state in the 13th general election.