Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik today pleads not guilty over his sedition charge and will be allowed bail at RM7,000 with one surety. – Facebook pic, October 5, 2015.Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik today pleaded not guilty at the Shah Alam Sessions Court for sedition against the Selangor Crown Prince.
The former Malacca chief minister, who landed in hot soup after alleging the crown prince had become a Catholic, was allowed bail at RM7,000 with one surety.
He was charged under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948.
Rahim also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge under Section 233(1) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
On Friday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said they wrapped up the investigation against Rahim and were waiting for instructions from the Attorney-General's Chambers for further action.
Rahim had allegedly published a post on his Facebook on September 25, claiming the Selangor crown prince Tengku Amir Shah embraced Christianity.
In the post, Rahim also wrote the alleged conversion was a grave disappointment to Muslims in Malaysia around the world.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar said the current provision of a fine up to RM5,000 or three years jail, or both, was applied against the accused because recent amendments to the Sedition Act had yet to come into force.
The law was amended and approved by Parliament early this year.
Under the alternative charge, Dusuki said Rahim faced a fine of up to RM50,000 or a maximum one-year jail term or both.
Earlier, Dusuki applied for RM10,000 bail but Rahim’s lawyer Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamuluddin proposed RM2,000.
Firoz said the court must also take into account the stature of the accused as former chief minister, a parliamentarian, a state assemblymen and a deputy home minister.
Session Judge Slamat Yahya has fixed the case for mention on November 5.
Last week, the Selangor Royal Council took the position that Rahim’s Facebook post on the crown prince was seditious and slanderous.
Some lawyers, however, feel that the use of the Sedition Act, which many have been pressing Putrajaya to repeal, should not have been used, instead for the matter to be settled in the civil court.
Civil rights lawyer Syahredzan Johan said the crown prince should file for defamation against Rahim instead of the public prosecutor invoking the sedition law.
Despite Rahim’s repeated apology to the palace, council secretary Hanafisah Jais said the former Malacca chief minister’s irresponsible claim had elements of slander.
Rahim admitted that the source of his claim was from an unsubstantiated website.
- TMI
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