The Kuala Lumpur High Court has ordered dance producer Bilqis Hijjas, 38, to enter her defence for the charge of insulting behaviour likely to cause a breach of peace.
This charge followed an Aug 31, 2016 incident where Bilqis is alleged to have dropped three yellow balloons onto a function at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur shopping centre that was attended by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
The words “Free media,” “Democracy,” and “Justice” were written on the balloons.
Magistrate Muhamad Faizal Ismail had acquitted her of the charge last year without her defence being called.
However, High Court judge Indera Mohd Sofian Abd Razak ruled that the magistrate had erred in his judgement.
He found that Bilqis had thrown the balloons from the fifth floor to the second floor of the mall where the event was held, which landed behind a large screen.
Bilqis’ lawyer Eric Paulsen argued that the balloons were not directed at anyone, and went unnoticed by the audience at the function, save for mall security and police personnel.
The judge said that the manner in which the balloons were thrown nonetheless showed that they were clearly directed at the guests of the function.
Indera Mohd Sofian added the words on the balloon are also listed in a gazette banning publications and articles from promoting the Bersih 4 rally last year, despite noting that the order had since been overturned by the court.
“The court has no doubt that that the respondent threw the balloons with the words…for Bersih, which goes against the practices of the present administration,” he said.
[More to follow]
Mkini-
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