DAP Tanjung MP Ng Wei Aik claimed trial to a charge under the 1948 Sedition Act for an article he authored which was published in a local Chinese daily in February.

He was allowed RM3,000 bail with one surety by Sessions Court Judge Ibrahim Osman.

Ng vowed to continue writing and speaking up for the people, pledging to persist in his quest to be a ‘vocal politician’.

“I do not think this charge will deter me from my struggle,” Ng, 38, told reporters after the Sessions Court recorded his plea in George Town today.

He was charged under Section 4(1)(c) of the Act over the Feb 11 article headlined `Let the trumpet of reformasi sound’ for ‘five seditious verses’ related to the five-year jail term of PKR defacto leader Anwar Ibrahim for a sodomy conviction.

In it, Ng touched on Anwar’s imprisonment for sodomy and the reformasi movement, but this was deemed seditious by Penang MCA Youth deputy chief Ang Chor Keong who lodged a police report against the article.

Ng, the former Penang DAP Youth chief, was represented by lawyer Ram Karpal Singh.

If found guilty, Ng will be sentenced to a maximum RM5,000 fine. The case is up for case management on Jan 8, next year.

During mitigation for a lower bail, Ram Karpal said Ng was not likely to escape trial as he is a member of parliament.

Ram Karpal described the charge as ‘politically motivated’, adding that the bail amount for his client was ‘ too high’.

DPP Razali Che Ani led the prosecution team. Assisting him is counsel Siti Fatimah Talib.

Other elected representatives facing similar fate as Ng are Parti Amanah Negara’s Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, PKR MPs Chua Tian Chang (Batu) and Rafizi Ramli, and and DAP’s Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua.