KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 – Adam Adli Abd Halim (photo), a student of Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris (UPSI), was charged in the Sessions Court here today with making a speech of a seditious nature at a talk last week.
Adam Adli, 25, pleaded not guilty to the charge of having uttered seditious words to incite the people to unlawfully change a legitimately elected government.
He was charged with committing the offence at a ‘ceramah’ (talk) at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall at No. 1, Jalan Maharajalela, Dang Wangi, between 8.55 pm and 11.15 pm on May 13.
The charge, under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 and punishable under Section 4(1) of the same act, provides for a maximum fine of RM5,000 or imprisonment of up to five years upon conviction.
Judge Norsharidah Awang set bail at RM5,000 with one surety and fixed July 2 for mention. Adam Adli’s father, Abd Halim Abd Hamid, posted bail.
During the proceeding, Adam Adli, without handcuffs, was in the dock. Several opposition leaders were also seen in court, among them Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Abazafree Mohd Abbas, in asking the court to set bail at the outset of the proceeding, proposed bail of RM5,000 with one surety.
However, defence counsel N. Surendran requested that his client be released on a personal bond because he had cooperated well with the police during the entire investigation in the case.
Surendran also said that the charge faced by his client had no merit and was baseless because the Sedition Act 1948 would be repealed.
“It is not fair to the accused because there was no element of violence which could have been detrimental to the public. The likelihood of the prosecution winning the case is slim,” he said.
Surendran informed the court that the defence would apply to the High Court to quash the charge on the grounds of abuse of court authority.
Mohamad Abazafree said the Sedition Act was still in force. He said that though there was no element of violence, there was the element of invitation to violence and that this was unlawful.
“The bail is to ensure that the accused attends court,” he said. Deputy Public Prosecutor Azlina Rasdi also appeared for the prosecution while lawyer Datuk S. Ambiga was also in the defence team.
– BERNAMA
