Former Jingga 13 activist Mohd Fariz Musa was today granted discharge not amounting to acquittal by the Magistrates’ Court in Kuala Lumpur for participating in the Kita Lawan rally two years ago.
Fariz’s lawyer, Eric Paulsen, provided the prosecution with a letter of representation, in which he requested that the charges against his client be dropped owing to his medical condition.
The letter notes that Fariz suffers from diabetes, for which he receives dialysis three times a week, and has had a leg amputated.
This was revealed to magistrate Ahmad Solihin Abd Wahid, when deputy public prosecutor Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharuddin affirmed that approval had been given to withdraw the charge.
Ahmad Solihin thereafter granted the discharge not amounting to an acquittal.
Fariz, 46, along with former student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim, 27, were charged with participating in the Kita Lawan rally in 2015, from the Sogo Complex on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman to the KLCC esplanade.
The duo had attempted to challenge the constitutionality of Section 4(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 relating to the ban on street protests, but were unsuccessful.
Despite Fariz’s release, Adam Adli’s hearing will continue today before the magistrate.
Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin, Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah and activist Mandeep Singh had also previoulsy been granted discharge not amounting to acquittal for taking part in the same rally.
However, they were slapped with the same charge a second time less than two months later. - Mkini
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