Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh arrived at Bukit Mertajam Magistrate’s Court to face a charge under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for allegedly threatening public order.
The charge is over an unspecified Facebook post, likely about his uproar over upside-down flags.
He arrived with considerable fanfare at around 8.20am, accompanied by over 100 people, ostensibly from Umno, chanting the selawat - an Islamic practice of sending prayers, blessings, and salutations upon Prophet Muhammad - as he greeted his supporters whilst making his way to the court.
His supporters were not allowed to enter the court premises, and the entrance gate was shut after Akmal entered.
Two days ago, in a statement on Facebook following the Attorney-General's Chambers' announcement that he would be charged, Akmal said he was in Mecca for an umrah pilgrimage, but would shorten his pilgrimage to return and face charges.
“If this is the price to pay for defending the nation’s sovereignty, I will not budge even an inch.
“We will meet in court on Friday,” he said.
Last week, Akmal led a crowd of over 100 protesters, including members of Umno and Bersatu youth wings, in Kepala Batas, Penang, to “educate” a hardware store owner caught on video hanging a Jalur Gemilang upside down.
The Merlimau assemblyperson stressed that the gathering was held peacefully and aimed to send a clear message that Malaysians will not tolerate disrespect toward the national symbol.
Simultaneously, the advocacy group Lawyers for Liberty staged a counter-protest to protect the hardware store owner Pang Chin Tian from harassment. - Mkini
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