KUALA LUMPUR - The Sessions Court dropped a Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 charge against Rembau Parti Keadilan Rakyat(PKR) chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin and two Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia(SAMM) members over a Gerakan Turun Kos Sara Hidup(Turun) gathering last year.
Badrul Hisham, popularly known as Chegubard, 36, Mohamed Bukhairy Mohamed Sofian, 24, and Edy Nor Reduan, 33, were given a discharge without amounting to acquittal of the charge related to their organising the Turun gathering in protest of a rise in prices of goods and the GST(Goods and Services Tax).
The incident allegedly took place at Dataran Merdeka here between 9am on Dec 31 last year and 1am on Jan 1.
On the eve of the new year, at least 5,000 protesters gathered at various points of the capital before breaching three barricades to enter Dataran Merdeka, disrupting celebration of the New Year 2014.
The three defendants were charged under Section 9(1) of the PAA 2012 for failing to notify police ten days before organising the Turun gathering. They claimed trial before Sessions Court judge Azman Mustapha on Jan 29.
According to counsel S. Melissa, who acted for all three defendants, the judge allowed the defence's application to drop the charge after the case was brought for mention before Azman this morning.
In a three-minute oral ruling, Azman said it would be unfair to have the charge hanging over the three accused's head because the provision(Section 9 of the PAA 2012) had been deemed unconstitutional due to last Friday's Court of Appeal decision to squash the charge against PKR's former communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Seri Setia assemblyman Nik Nazmi was previously charged under Section 9(5) of the Act for failing to give ten-day notification to police before organising a Blackout 505 rally at the Kelana Jaya Stadium, Selangor, on May 5 last year.
-NST
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