Ex-Umany president claims trial to defying police order

 

Former Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) president Wong Yan Ke today claimed trial to a charge under Section 188 of the Penal Code at the Petaling Jaya Magistrates Court.

The charge relates to "disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant" during a Nov 7 police raid on the house of Wong's successor, Yap Wen Qing, linked to a probe on an article published by Umany on the role of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Magistrate Nurshahira Abdul Salim set Feb 21 for a re-mention of the case and granted RM1,000 bail.

Wong's counsel Rajsurian Pillai later told reporters the prosecution had applied for RM7,000 bail. The defence submitted a request for the court to impose an unsecured bond, citing among others that the Universiti Malaya graduate was not a flight risk and had cooperated with police investigations.

He said the request was made as penalties under Section 188 were lower with imprisonment of up to one month, a fine of up to RM400 or both.

"I submitted in court that some traffic offences provided for a higher fine so there's no real need to set a high bail amount.

"Wong Yan Ke is a fresh graduate, he lives in Petaling Jaya and he has given his full cooperation," said Rajsurian.

Two other lawyers, Kuhan Manokaran and Tan Wei Shin also appeared for Wong, while lawyer Cyrus Tiu Foo Wei held a watching brief on behalf of the Bar Council.

DPP Atifah Hazimah Wahab, meanwhile, appeared for the prosecution.

Police are investigating Umany under the Sedition Act as well as the Communications and Multimedia Act over an Oct 30 article which saw a deluge of police reports lodged against the association.

The article followed the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's rejection of the government's request for an emergency declaration and him advising all MPs to support the Budget 2021.

Umany had argued that the king "should not interfere in national affairs and must always maintain a neutral attitude and play his role within the framework permitted by the constitution".

However, in a Facebook posting yesterday, the association retracted the article and apologised to the monarch. - Mkini