Cow-head protest: 4 discharged of sedition

The 12 protesters involved in the infamous cow-head demonstration last year - deemed sacrilegious by Hindus - have pleaded guilty to a new alternative charge of participating in an illegal assembly.

However, in a dramatic twist, the prosecution gave a discharge not amounting to an acquittal to four of six who maintained their innocence against addtional sedition charges.

According to prosecutors, there was no reason to proceed with the case as the other two culprits had already pleaded guilty.

The group were initially charged under Section 27 (5A) of the Police Act 1967, but were offered an alternative charge under Section 143 of the Penal Code which carries a lower penalty of six months jail or fine.

(The penalty under Section 27 carries a jail sentence of between two to ten years and a fine of not more than RM10,000.)

Shah Alam Sessions Court judge Hasbi Hassan handed out a sentence of a RM1,000 fine to each member of the group for illegal assembly.

The accused are Ibrahim Sabri, Ahmad Mahayuddin Abd Manaf, Eyzva Ezhar Ramli, Mohd Azmir Mohd Zain, Ahmad Suhairy Zakaria, Mohd Hilmi Ali, Jainudin@Zainudin Md Yusof, Mohd Jurit Ramli, Mohammad Nordin Zakaria, Jamil Mohamad Isa, Rahimuddin Md Harun and Azahari Shaari.

Four walk free

Six ofthem were also charged under the Sedition Act 1948 for bringing and stepping on the cow head. Two - Eyzva Ezhar and Mohd Azmir - pleaded guilty today.

Eyzva Ezhar, who brought the cow-head to the protest, was sentenced to one week's jail and a fine of RM3,000. If he cannot pay the fine, he will be jailed three months.

Mohd Azmir, who stepped on the cow-head, was fined RM3,000. If he cannot pay the fine, he will be jailed three months.

However, the four who refused to plead guilty - Ibrahim Sabri, Ahmad Mahayuddin Abd Manaf, Ahmad Suhairy Zakaria and Mohd Hilmi Ali - walked free after the prosecution gave them a discharge.

On Aug 28 last year, the group participated in a demonstration in front of the Selangor secretariat building in protest against the construction of a Hindu temple in the mainly Malay-Muslim neighbourhood of Section 23 Shah Alam.