Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah, PKR Bayan Baru parliamentarian Sim Tze Tzin and seven others were charged today under the Sedition Act 1948 and the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012 with taking part in the Kita Lawan rallies between Feb 28 and March 28.

They pleaded not guilty in the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court to the illegal street protest charges.

Eight of them were charged under Section 4(2)(c) of the Peaceful Assembly Act and are liable to a maximum RM10,000 fine if found guilty.

They are Maria, Sim, PKR Teja state assemblyperson Chang Lih Kang, Semambu state assemblyperson Lee Chean Chung, Jingga 13 leader Fariz Musa, activists Mandeep Singh, Adam Adli and Rozan Azen and Mat Rasip, aide to PKR Batu parliamentarian Tian Chua.

The three PKR lawmakers may lose their MP status if found guilty. They will be automatically disqualified as lawmakers by virtue of the RM2,000 fine.

The ninth accused, Parti Amanah Negara Youth leader Mohd Fakhrulrazi Mohd Mokhtar was charged with uttering a seditious speech.

All nine were charged in three different Magistrate's Courts.

The magistrates fixed bail at RM500 for eight of them while Fakhrulrazi was slapped with a RM1,000 bail with one surety.

According to the charge sheet, Maria, Sim, Mandeep and Fariz Musa were alleged to have committed the offence on March 28 by attending the Kita Lawan rally to demand the release of PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim who was sentenced for five years imprisonment on Feb 10.

Magistrate Muhamad Faizal Ismail fixed bail at RM500 and set Oct 16 for mention of the case.

Sedition charge

Fariz was the only one slapped with two charges for attending the street protests on both Feb 28 and March 28.

He was charged together with Adam Adli who was alleged to have attended the street demonstration on Feb 28.

Magistrate Mohd Rehan Mohd Aris set Oct 16 for hearing for both Fariz and Adam.

Chang, Lee and Rezan were charged with attending the Kita Lawan rally on March 21 at the Sogo shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur.

Their charge sheets stated that the trio allegedly demanded for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to step down and inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar to be sacked.

Magistrate Ashrfaf Rezal Abdul Manan also set Oct 16 for mention.

Fakhrulrazi ( photo ) was also slapped with a sedition charge for the speeches he made at the #KitaLawan rally on March 21.

In his speech, Fakhrulrazi is alleged to have linked Rosmah Mansor, the wife of the prime minister, to the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

He also said PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim was prosecuted due to allegations, rather than the crime he was accused of having committed.

Fakhrulrazi was charged under Section 4 (1) (b) of the Sedition Act 1948.

He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail of RM1,000 on one surety.

The magistrate fixed Dec 11 for mention.

Sivarasa unwell

Prosecutor Muhd Ilhami had wanted Fakhrulrazi's passport to be confiscated but this was rejected by the magistrate.

Meanwhile, PKR Selangor Executive councillor Elizebeth Wong ( photo ) confirmed that her colleague Subang MP R Sivarasa, who was currently on medical leave until Sept 21, was supposed to be the tenth person charged today in court.

She expressed surprise when she was told Sivarasa will be charged under Sedition Act for the Aug 7 Kita Lawan rally he attended.

"He told me that the police (initially) summoned him to the police station on Sunday, but he could not make it," she said when met in court.

PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Tian Chua were present in court today to give moral support to the nine.

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