The government's aim in charging nine politicians and activists for attending Kita Lawan rallies was to scare the public from attending future protests.

"This is the first mass prosecution after the recent Bersih 4 rally.

"This is not only meant to penalise the opposition and NGOs but to threaten the rakyat who seem to be courageously attending mass rallies recently," he said when met at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex.

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

According to the Batu parliamentarian ( photo ), the government was afraid to see the rakyat coming forward to exercise their freedom of expression.

DAP Bukit Gelugor parliamentarian Ramkarpal Singh also criticised the government for charging the nine.

"This is definitely politically motivated," said Ramkarpal, who is also one of the defence counsel representing those who were charged with taking part in the Kita Lawan rally.

He said the lawyers will be using political prosecution as the grounds for the defence of those charged, he said.

'Selective prosecution'

Meanwhile, PKR Bayan Baru parliamentarian Sim Tze Tsin condemned the government for using a 'backdoor' method to disqualify opposition lawmakers from Parliament.

"I dare them to call for national polls. Then we will fight in the general election," he said.

Sim (photo) and two other PKR state assemblypersons, Lee Chean Chung and Chang Lih Kang, were charged under the Peaceful Assembly Act for attending the Kita Lawan rally in March.

The trio will be automatically disqualified as elected representatives if they are found guilty and fined RM2,000 and above.

Under the section 4(2)(c) of the Peaceful Assembly Act, they are liable to a maximum RM10,000 fine.

Sim also accused Putrajaya of selective prosecution, pointing out that Umno Youth and Perkasa were not charged for participating in rallies in Penang.

"This is selective prosecution. To us, this is persecution," he said.

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