KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 – Subang Member of Parliament (MP) R. Sivarasa was charged in the Sessions Court here on Tuesday with uttering seditious words during the #KitaLawan rally in the city last March. However, Sivarasa had also pleaded not guilty and claimed trial after the charge was read by the court’s interpreter before Judge Azman Mustapha.
The MP was alleged to have uttered the seditious words when he criticised the judiciary in the case involving former Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Meanwhile, he was also accused of committing the offence at 5.20 pm at the KLCC compound on March 7.
The charge was under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 provides a maximum jail term of three years or fine up to RM5,000, or both, upon conviction. In the same time, the court was also allowed that Sivarasa to bail of RM2,000 in one surety and set Nov 19 for remention of the case.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Masri Daud prosecuted, while the MP was represented by counsel M.Puravalen. The MP is the ninth individual charged in connection with the #KitaLawan rally. On Sept 8, Bersih 2.0 chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah and seven others also claimed trial at the Magistrate’s Court to a charge of participating in the #KitaLawan rally on March 28.
