Adam Adli Charged Under the Sedition Act

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KUALA LUMPUR, 23 May: Student activist, Adam Adli Abdul Halim, 24, pleaded not guilty after being charged under the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for uttering seditious words in his speech at the People’s Oratory forum on 13 May.

Adam Adli allegedly committed an offence under Section 4 (1) (b) of the Sedition Act 1948 following his speech on 13 May at the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

If convicted, he faces a maximum of three years imprisonment, or a fine of RM5,000 or both.

Judge Norsharidah Awang allowed for Adam Adli to be released on bail at RM5,000 with one surety.

The court set July 2, 2013 for mention of the case.

In his counsel, N Surendran’s argument, Adam should be released without bail because he is a student and his father is a retired civil servant.

According to Surendran, as a young person who loudly voices the people’s voice, the charges against him should be dropped because it is baseless.

“The charge has been made under Section 4 (1) of the Sedition Act. We told the court that the charge has no basis at all.

“Former Judge of the Court of Appeal (Datuk Mohd Noor Abdullah) who issued a statement breaking races had no action taken against him.

“Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) said that the Sedition Act is repealed, but still the cruel and evil Sedition Act is being used.

So we reject this kind of abuse of power and we will file an appeal to quash the charge in the High Court,” he said when met outside the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

Apart from N Surendran, Adam Adli is also represented by four other lawyers; Datuk S Ambiga, Michelle Yesudass, Muhammad Afiq M Noor and Shamsul Iskandar Mat Akin.

Meanwhile, Ambiga posed questions to the Minister of Home Affairs and the Attorney General as to why Adam Adli is used as a mere target.

“Why intentionally target Adam Adli while others have issued more severe statements but were released and not investigated?

“This is frivolous, smacks of selective prosecution and abuse of justice system.
To use the law, it should be done equally.

“The Sedition Act should be repealed and nobody should be prosecuted under this act,” she further explained.

Adam Adli left the court at around 11.40am after bail was made while nearly 50 supporters accompanied him.

Previously, Adam was remanded for five days since 18 May, after being arrested for his statement issued during the post-election forum organised by the Youth’s Voice of Malaysia (SAMM).


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