KUALA LUMPUR, 14 Mar: PKR Vice President, Tian Chua’s team of lawyers will file an application at the Kuala Lumpur High Court to quash the indictment against him under the 1948 Sedition Act today.
According to Tian Chua’s lawyer, N Surendran, the allegations is of a political nature, while the Federal Government has announced that the Act would be repealed.
“We will file it at the High Court to quash evil and ridiculous charged because this is an abuse of the court’s and political power.
“This charge is a desperate political move by the government,” he told reporters when he was met outside the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court after Tian Chua was charged this morning.
Surendran also claimed that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself announced that the Act will be abolished and replaced by a new Act.
“Secondly, we have told the court that the PM has announced that the Sedition Act will be repealed. It is wrong under the law and inappropriate to be still used.
“This means that the PM said something to deceive the people because Tian was prosecuted under this Act,” he added.
Today, Tian Chua was accused of issuing inciting statement through his social media site, Twitter, on 11 March, on the Lahad Datu incident in Sabah.
The Batu Member of Parliament was charged under Section 4(1)(b) of the 1948 Sedition Act. If convicted of the first offence, he will be liable to a fine of not more than RM5,000 or imprisoned for not more than three years, or both.
If convicted for the second offence, he may be imprisoned for not more than five years.