Tian, 3 others plead not guilty amid talk of an Umno 'hatchet job' to bring Najib down

UPDATED VIDEOS INSERTED KUALA LUMPUR - Amid swirling speculation they were victims of an Umno power intrigue, MP for Batu Tian Chua, PAS politician Tamrin Ghafar, activists Hishammuddin Rais, Haris Ibrahim and Safwan Anang pleaded not guilty to Sedition charges that could see them imprisoned for years if found guilty.

Tian, Tamrin, Haris and Safwan were arrested in a rather dramatic manner late yesterday, and then rather oddly, released after giving their statements. All 4 men were charged under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 over speeches they made between 8.55pm and 11.15pm at the KL Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on May 13, 2013.

Prominent writer and human rights activist Hishammuddin Rais, who was not arrested last night, "surrendered" himself at the courthouse at around 10.30am this morning. He was charged separately at a later session.

All five men pleaded not guilty. Tian, Tamrin, Hishamuddin and Haris posted bail and were freed. However Safwan, after consulting his wife, decided to remain under remand until Friday as a "matter of principle" to protest the government's perceived high-handedness.

Spinning fiction, Umno-BN won't last very long

Outside the courtroom were a crowd of supporters from the activists and NGO community including Auntie Bersih. The media was also out in full force.

"It is very clear if you look at history that corrupt regimes like Umno-BN are going against the wishes of the people. The results are very clear. They lost the popular vote for the first time since 1969, they only got 44% of the popular vote in Perak. Of course, they lost very badly in Penang and Selangor," MP for Wangsa Maju Tan Kee Kwong toldMalaysia Chronicle.

"So if Umno-BN is a bit smart, not clever, they will look at the results and see the people are not with them despite all the lying and cheating and fitnah (slander). Better they reassess their position rather than have ministers who say, if you don't like it you get out ... what more do the Chinese want ... all these sort of inflammatory statements and taking action against those super tycoons who support us. It is our right to support whom we want. Don't worry Tian, Tamrin, Haris and Hishammuddin, Umno-BN won't last very long."

Kee Kwong had come to show his support for his "comrades". Also present were MP for Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah, PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub and MP for Puchong Gobind Singh Deo.

Meanwhile, according to Tian's lawyer, N Surendran, the charges preferred against his client were without basis and trumped up.

"It was not only taken out of context, it was complete fiction spun by the government and the IGP that there is an attempt to overthrow the government by force," Surendran, mincing no words, told reporters outside the court room.

Are 'they' trying to push Najib out

Indeed, the latest move by Prime Minister Najib Razak's government reeks of political persecution. While the speeches of the trio were spirited, many Malaysians think these are nowhere near the "hatred-inciting" speeches made by Umno and Umno-linked leaders including Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin.

Snaking through the political grapevine now is speculation that the latest bout of political clumsiness is deliberate and aimed to embarrass Najib as he prepares to defend his Umno presidency.

The police arrests would come under the ultimate jurisdiction of Home Minister Zahid Hamidi, a vice president in Umno, and while he may not possess enough clout to challenge Najib as yet, there are rumours he may be "paving the way" for other powers-that-be in Umno, a party infamous for its political intrigues and infighting.

"Pu it this way, Zahid is not stupid. This harks back to the Abdullah Badawi time. Remember in 2008, suddenly Teresa Kok, Raja Petra Kamaruddin and the Sin Chew reporter were detained under the Internal Security Act. The fallout was so great, it was the last straw that broke the camel's back as far as Badawi's presidency was concerned. Is Zahid Hamidi now following in the footsteps of Syed Hamid Albar," a political watcher told Malaysia Chronicle.

Many within the Opposition also see the arrests as a crackdown aimed to derail their decision to reject the outcome of the May 5 general election, where Najib has claimed a 133-seats victory over Pakatan's 89 seats.

Refusing to concede defeat, Opposition chief Anwar brahim had launched the Black 505 series of rallies to garner public support. So far, the rallies have been a huge success, drawing no less than half a million Malaysians to their venues around the country.

Anwar has also appealed to Malaysians to lodge police reports against indelible ink fraud by the Election Commission. He hopes to collect at least 100,000 such reports but already, there have been complaints from the public that the police were making it tough for the ordinary folk to file their complaints.

"Prime Minister Najib Razak should be held responsible for reneging on his promise to repeal the Sedition Act which was made in 2012. We are talking about selective prosecution.using this archaic and obsolete law against the Opposition and dissenters," Nurul told a press conference outside the courtroom.

"It will not stop our our protest, our street protest, peaceful assemblies and  gatherings to fight the fraud in the general election," PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub later told reporters outside the courtroom.

Malaysia Chronicle