Two Pakatan MPs claim trial over Black 505

Two Pakatan Rakyat MPs and a PKR staff member have claimed trial at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to charges of organising the Black 505 rally in Padang Merbok on June 22.

Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli, Seremban MP Anthony Loke and the PKR staff member Muhammad Adib Ishar were charged under the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012 with organising the rally and not abiding to Dang Wangi OCPD Assistant Commissioner Zainuddin Ahmad’s directive.

They also claimed trial to an alternative charge of failing to attach the approval letter from Kuala Lumpur City Hall or inform Zainuddin 10 days before organising the rally.

Under Section 4 (2) of the PAA under which the three were charged, they could face a maximum fine of RM20,000 if convicted.

For the alternative charge under Section 9 of the PAA, the three stand to face a maximum fine of RM10,000.

Rafizi and Adib were represented by lawyers N Surendran and Latheefa Koya, while Loke was represented by lawyer Thomas Su.

Four student activists - Adam Adli Abdul Halim, Safwan Anang, Ekhsan Bukharee and Mohd Bukhairi Sofian - claimed trial to a charge of being participants in a rally as they gathered in a restricted area namely the Abdul Rahman Mosque at Universiti Malaya.

The students were represented by Surendran and Murni Hidayah Anuar.

They are charged under Section 15 of the PAA where the four stand to face a maximum fine of RM10,000 if convicted.

All were charged before Sessions judge Mat Ghani Abdullah.

Mat Ghani fixed Oct 7 and 8 along with Dec 9, 10 and 12 as trial dates for Rafizi, Loke and Adib.

The court also fixed Oct 21 to 24 for the hearing of the students’ trial.

Also present to show their support were PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, his wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.