Law lecturer Dr Azmi Sharom is facing a fine of up to RM5,000 or 3 years in prison or both, if he is convicted of sedition in the trial which will start tomorrow at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur. – The Malaysian Insider pic, December 16, 2015.The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today rejected law professor Dr Azmi Sharom’s application to move his sedition trial to the High Court.
Judge Amernuddin Ahmad ruled that the sessions court has the jurisdiction to hear the case and ordered the trial to start tomorrow.
The Universiti Malaya lecturer was charged on September 2 last year with sedition over his comments in an article “Take Perak crisis route for speedy end to Selangor impasse, Pakatan told”, published in a news portal.
The charge, under the Section 4(1)(b) and Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act, carries a penalty of a maximum fine of RM5,000 or three years’ prison, or both, upon conviction.
Azmi’s lawyer Gobind Singh Deo said that they requested for the case to be postponed to tomorrow to argue on the impact of Section 3 (3) of the Sedition Act against the trial.
“In order for us to mount our trial, we need to know what is the impact of Azmi's case decision (at Federal Court) on Section 3 (3) of the Act.
“I have now asked the judge to rule on that issue first,” he said.
On October 6, the Federal Court dismissed Azmi’s application to challenge the constitutionality of the Sedition Act 1948.
The apex court declared that the law enacted under British rule was constitutional.
The ruling will impact some 30 politicians, government critics and activists who have been charged under the Act since last year.
- TMI
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