Zaid Ibrahim today raised a preliminary objection in the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur today in a bid to drop the charge against him.

The former minister in the Prime Minister's Department is accused of making an offensive statement in a speech urging Najib Abdul Razak to resign as prime minister.

His lawyer M Puravalen argued that the accused did not commit any offence under Section 233(1)(a) of the Malaysian Communications Multimedia Commission Act 1998, as suggested in the charge.

He submitted that the charge under the Section had been misused against the accused as it did not involve any publication offences.

"Because when the offence was first created, the complainant said he saw a publication. But this is not a publication. This is making a document and initiating a transmission.

"They are two different things. So there is no offence known to law, and the charge needs to be dropped," stressed Puravalen.

Judge Balqis Aini Mohd Ali set March 4 for the next proceeding after deputy public prosecutor Shukor Abu Bakar asked for time to prepare his submission in reply to the preliminary objection.

Zaid, 64, who is also Parti Kesejahteraan Insan (Kita) former president, stands accused of making the offensive statement at http://www.zaid.my , under a heading, 'Rally Behind Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad'.

He allegedly made the statement to intentionally offend other people, at the Classified Crimes Investigation Unit in Bukit Aman in Kuala Lumpur at 3.20pm on Sept 3, last year.

He faces a fine of up to RM50,000 or up to a year's jail or both, if found guilty.

On Sept 2, 2015, Zaid made a speech at the Royal Selangor Club and uploaded it on his blog the next day.

- Bernama