Chegubard claims trial over May 25 rally

PKR leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin has claimed trial in the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court to a charge of failing to notify the police about the ‘Black 505' rally he had organised on May 25.

Badrul Hisham, better known by his blogger handle of Chegubad, pleaded not guilty when the charge under Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 was read to him.

He is accused of failing to give the stipulated 10 days’ notice of the rally to the Petaling Jaya district police chief.

Held in Padang Timur in Petaling Jaya, this was part of a series of rallies nationwide organised by Pakatan Rakyat to protest alleged electoral fraud and irregularities in the 13th general election.

DPP Shaharuddin Wan Ladin appeared for the prosecution, while Chegubad was unrepresented.

Judge Yasmin Abdul Razak set the date for case management on July 9, to give him time to engage a lawyer.

She released Chegubad on his own cognizance after he argued that he had attended the proceedings voluntarily, as well as cooperated fully with police when they issued a summons to him.

"He has no tendency not to come to court," the judge said, while reminding Chegubard that he must attend all proceedings without fail.

More than 20 police were deployed around the courthouse, together with a small detachment of Light Strike Force personnel.

However, Chegubard brought along only one supporter.

‘The target is actually Zahid’

Outside the court room, Chegubad claimed that the crackdown on protests nationwide is a product of Umno’s internal politics in the face of looming party polls.

He alleged that the action against Pakatan leaders and activists are a ploy to tarnish and destroy the political standing of Umno vice-president and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (right).

Chegubard claimed that Zahid is to be made scapegoat by the main factions vying for power within Umno.

"Don't make the rakyat the victim of Umno internal politics," he said.

Chegubad is among half a dozen Pakatan leaders and pro-democracy activists who have been charged for their role in organising the ‘Black 505' rallies.