After a one-year wait, DAP Tanjung MP Ng Wei Aik was acquitted and discharged of a sedition charge by the Sessions Court in George Town today.

Sessions judge Ibrahim Osman made the decision after finding that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against Ng, the former Penang DAP Youth chief.

Ng was charged under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948 for an article published on Feb 10, 2015.

The article which was published in a Chinese language daily was in support of former opposition leader and PKR de facto chief Anwar Ibrahim, who was sentenced to a five-year jail term for a sodomy conviction.

He was charged with sedition after a report was lodged against him by MCA.

Ng was repesented by Gobind Singh Deo, RSN Rayer and Ramkarpal Singh.

When announcing his decision, Ibrahim said, "The prosecution has failed to prove that the article was seditious as there were two translations in the Chinese language".

'Victory for press freedom'

The offending article headlined 'Let the trumpets of reformasi resound' was published in Chinese daily Kwong Wah Jit Poh two days after Anwar's jailing by the Federal Court.

MCA deputy youth chief Ang Chor Keong lodged the police report against Ng the next day, Feb 16, 2015, claiming the article was seditious.

Ng, the former DAP Komtar assemblyperson, was emotional upon his acquittal and discharge, saying later that he welcomed Ibrahim's decision.

"This is a victory for all columnists. We should not be charged for voicing our opinion," the outspoken parliamentarian told reporters.

Among others, he was flanked by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi outside the courthouse.