KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 – Bersih 4.0 rally organiser Maria Chin Abdullah today filed an application to strike out a charge relating to the organising of the event at the High Court here. This was told by counsel Honey Tan Lay Ean, who represented Maria, 59, when the case was mentioned before Sessions court judge Datuk Jagjit Singh Bant Singh.
Tan also applied for a stay of proceedings pending completion of the hearing in the High Court and this was not objected by deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz. The court then recorded the application and set February 29 next year for case management.
Maria, who is also Bersih 2.0 chairman, was charged of failing to give notice to the Brickfields district police here 10 days in advance before organising the rally in front of the NU Sentral shopping complex, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields here between 2 pm and 3 pm last August 29.
This is an offence under Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012. She was charged under Section 9(5) of the same act and is liable to a maxium fine of RM10,000 upon conviction. Meanwhile Tan when met by reporters said her client filed an application to strikeo ut the charge on the grounhds that it was unconstitutional and void.
