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Activist Haris Ibrahim found guilty of sedition

KUALA LUMPUR: Activist Haris Ibrahim (pic) has been sentenced to eight months in prison by the Sessions Court here after being found guilty of making seditious remarks at a public forum following the 13th general election three years ago.

However, judge Shamsudin Abdullah granted the defence’s application for a stay of execution pending appeal, with bail increased to RM10,000 from RM5,000.

Haris was charged under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act, which carries a jail term of not more than three years and a fine not exceeding RM5,000.

In handing down the guilty verdict, Shamsudin said he was satisfied that the words uttered by the accused at the May 13 forum had a tendency to call on Malaysians to topple a democratically-elected government.

He said the prosecution had succeeded in proving its case beyond reasonable doubt, and that the defence’s testimony was a mere denial of wrongdoing.

In applying for a stay, Haris’ counsel Gobind Singh Deo submitted that there were still pending court challenges to the constitutionality of the Sedition Act.

Gobind had earlier appealed for a light sentence, on consideration that his client had several medical conditions which he was receiving treatment for.

In calling for a heavier sentence, DPP Muhammad Ilmami Ahmad said that as a lawyer by profession, the accused should have sought better ways to air his grouses about the Government and electoral system.

He said a harsher sentence should be meted out to teach the accused a lesson and also deter others in the future.

Haris was charged with four others with uttering seditious words at a public forum at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Jalan Maharaja Lela between 8.55pm and 11.15pm on May 13, 2013.

He was charged with former Batu Berendam MP Tamrin Ghafar, PKR vice-president Tian Chua and activists Adam Adli and Safwan Anang.

All of them had pleaded not guilty with the trials conducted separately.-thestar

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