A desperate Najib fears losing Sabah, other PR leaders may be next...

MP for Batu Tian Chua pleaded not guilty to Sedition charges pressed against him by Prime Minister Najib Razak's government for allegedly linking the ruling Umno party to the Lahad Datu intrusion.

"These are politically-motivated charges and I will clear my name through the court," said Tian as he made his plea.

His lawyers, Latheefa Koya and N Surendran, minced no words in his defence. Calling the charges a gross abuse of power and the judicial processes, they slammed the Najib administration for putting Umno above the government.

"How can you use the Sedition Act? The Sedition Act is meant to be used against those who try to destabilize the government. Umno is a political party. It is an utter abuse of the court. This is clearly a politically-motivated case. It is a dirty trick and Umno has turned nasty," N Surendran told reporters when emerging from the court room.

"Tian (allegedly) says Umno is doing a sandiwara (playacting). So why is the Attorney-General bringing a charge against Tian Chua for criticizing Umno? What does this mean? This means that if the Opposition criticizes the government, they will drag us to court and brand us as criminals. We are outraged by this charge. What type of best democracy in the world is this?"

Using Lahad Datu debacle to prosecute the Opposition ahead of GE13

Surendran and Latheefa, who are also senior PKR members, warned that more Opposition leaders would soon be charged including Anwar Ibrahim, the de-facto head of the Pakatan Rakyat. The Umno media has already been insinuating that Anwar had masterminded the Lahad Datu intrusion, which has proved to be a political calamity for Najib as he readies to call for the country's 13th general election.

Under tremendous pressure and flak for allegedly having mishandled the capture and eviction of a group of some 200 armed gunmen from Sulu, there is great concern that Najib was now trying to throw the blame onto the Opposition by 'any-how' smearing tactics such as the Sedition charges pressed against Tian this morning.

"Several Opposition leaders such as (PKR deputy president) Azmin Ali, (DAP MP for Puchong) Gobind Singh are being questioned and we expect more will soon be questioned. Media dan pemimpin Umno serang, Attorney-General dan polis kutuk (Umno media and leaders attack, the Attorney-General and the police prosecute) ... so they work together," said Surendran.

"There is still an ongoing vicious attack against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. We expect they will also try to take action there even thought there is no basis for the lies and the slander against the Opposition Leader with regard to the Lahad Datu (intrusion) which is a national security (matter). The Umno government is politicizing the issue by going after the Opposition leaders."-malaysian chronicle


Kes Tian Chua: Pendakwaan politik, peguam mahu ketepi tuduhan

Tian Chua didakwa atas tuduhan hasutan...

Naib Presiden PKR Chua Tian Chang didakwa hari ini di bawah Akta Hasutan 1948 kerana dituduh membuat kenyataan menghasut berhubung pencerobohan Sulu dan pertempuran bersenjata di pantai timur Sabah.

Beliau yang dikenali sebagai Tian Chua minta dibicarakan diatas pertuduhan tersebut memberitahu Mahkamah Sesyen di sini: “Ini adalah dakwaan bermotif politik. Saya akan lawan fitnah ini untuk membersihkan nama saya.”

Peguamnya, N Surendran, memberitahu Hakim Mahkamah Sesyen Mohamad Sekeri Mamat beliau akan memfailkan permohonan kepada Mahkamah Tinggi untuk menggugurkan pertuduhan terhadap Chua, mendakwa ini adalah pencabulan proses dan bermotifkan politik.

Timbalan Pendakwaraya Amer Abdul Karim memberitahu mahkamah Chua dituduh di bawah Seksyen 4 (1) (b) Akta Hasutan dan boleh dihukum di bawah Seksyen 4 (1) dalam akta sama.

Pertuduhan dibacakan kepada Chua oleh mahkamah yang berbunyi: “Bahawa kamu, pada 1 Mac 2013 jam 11:00 pagi di alamat No: 62-2-A, Fraser Business Park, Jalan Off Metro Pudu, Jalan Loke Yew, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, telah menyebutkan perkataan menghasut dengan membuat kenyataan bahawa,

(a) Serangan tembak menembak di Lahad Datu dipercayai konspirasi terancang kerajaan UMNO untuk mengalih perhatian dan menakut-nakutkan rakyat;

(b) Insiden berkenaan menimbulkan banyak persoalan dan keraguan di sebalik wayang mainan kerajaan UMNO;

(c) Menyifatkan pencerobohan di Lahad Datu hanya sandiwara kerajaan untuk menakut-nakutkan rakyat seolah-olah wujud suasana tidak aman di Sabah. Kejadian pencerobohan di Lahad Datu hanya sandiwara kerajaan untuk menakut-nakutkan rakyat seolah-olah wujud suasana tidak aman di Sabah; dan

(d) Ada konspirasi oleh kerajaan UMNO untuk mengalih pandangan rakyat Sabah, terutama dari isu pemberian kad pengenalan kepada warga asing;dan oleh yang demikian, kamu telah melakukan suatu kesalahan di bawah seksyen 4(1)(b) Akta Hasutan 1948 (Akta 15) dan boleh dihukum di bawah seksyen 4(1) Akta yang sama. 

Chua boleh dikenakan denda tidak lebih daripada lima ribu ringgit atau penjara selama tempoh tidak lebih daripada tiga tahun atau kedua-duanya dan, bagi kesalahan yang kemudian, boleh dikenakan penjara selama tempoh tidak lebih daripada lima tahun.

Beliau kemudiannya dibebaskan dengan jaminan RM5,000.

Mahkamah Sesyen juga menetapkan 12 April untuk sebutan kes.

Pada 1 Mac Chua dilaporkan berkata terdapat konspirasi dari Umno untuk mengalihkan perhatian di Sabah dari isu pemberian kad pengenalan kepada warga asing.

Ahli parlimen Batu itu dilaporkan menyifatkan pencerobohan di Lahad Datu hanya sandiwara kerajaan untuk menakut-nakutkan rakyat seolah-olah wujud suasana tidak aman di Sabah.

“Ada konspirasi oleh kerajaan Umno untuk mengalih pandangan rakyat Sabah, terutama dalam isu pemberian kad pengenalan kepada warga asing,” kata Chua seperti dilaporkan oleh laman atas talian lidah rasmi PKR, Keadilan Daily.

Tian Chua diiringi oleh kedua peguamnya N Surendran dan Latheefa Koya.Awal hari ini, penyokong Chua bertengkar dengan polis, dengan peguamnya mendakwa terdapat percubaan untuk menangkap pemimpin PKR itu.

“Saya fikir ini tidak adil dan sangat mendiskriminasi,” kata peguam Chua Latheefa Koya kepada pemberita, mendakwa layanan sama tidak kepada ahli politik Umno, menteri atau keluarga menteri.

Seorang lagi peguam mewakili Chua, Eric Paulsen, mengakui penangkapan sebelum seseorang dituduh adalah dalam kuasa budi bicara polis, tetapi mendakwa bahawa ia akan menyebabkan penyalahgunaan kuasa kerana Chua telah memberi kerjasama dengan muncul di Kompleks Mahkamah Jalan Duta.

Akan tetapi polis memberitahu pemberita mereka hanya mengikut prosedur biasa mahkamah dan hanya mahu mengiringi Chua ke kamar mahkamah.

Polis Johor beberapa hari sebelum ini telah merakamkan kenyataan dari Chua, editor Keadilan Daily Fazalah Pit dan pemberitanya Aisha Geoffery.

Ketua polis Johor DCP Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff dilaporkan semalam berkata 82 daripada 318 laporan polis terhadap Chua datang dari negeri tersebut.

Latheefa juga membangkitkan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak Julai lalu mengatakan Akta Hasutan 1948 akan dipinda dan digantikan dengan Akta Harmoni Kebangsaan.

Oktober lalu, menteri de facto undang-undang Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz dilaporkan berkata akta untuk menggantikan Akta Hasutan akan dibentangkan di parlimen tahun ini.-malaysian insider

K’jaan jadikan Tian Chua ‘kambing hitam’ untuk tutup kelemahan

Cubaan polis menahan Tian Chua sewaktu berada di mahkamah merupakan tindakan provokasi bertujuan memberi tekanan lebih besar terhadap Naib Presiden KEADILAN itu.

Ahli Majlis Pimpinan Pusat KEADILAN, Fariz Musa berkata, tidak mustahil Umno BN terbabit secara langsung dalam kes pendakwaan ke atas Tian.

Katanya, ini kerana Ahli Parlimen Batu itu dijadikan kambing hitam untuk menutup kelemahan kerajaan BN berhubung pencerobohan di Lahad Datu, Sabah.

“Penahanan Tian Chua tidak munasabah kerana beliau berada di mahkamah dan bersedia untuk didakwa.

“Penahanan sebelum pendakwaan bertujuan untuk memastikan tertuduh hadir ke mahkamah. Dalam kes ini, tindakan polis itu bercanggah dan tiada keperluan,” kata Fariz ketika dihubungi.

Tian cuba ditahan dua anggota polis di kafetaria Mahkamah Jalan Duta kira-kira jam 9.45 pagi tadi untuk didakwa di bawah Akta Hasutan berkenaan isu Lahad Datu.

Beliau bersama peguam Latheefa Koya dan beberapa penyokong bersarapan di kafetaria sementara menunggu kes bermula.

Bagaimanapun, penahanan itu ditentang peguam sehingga menimbulkan sedikit kekecohan.

Mengulas lanjut, Fariz berkata, pendakwaan juga harus dikenakan terhadap Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein kerana gagal menyelesaikan insiden Lahad Datu.

“Sepatutnya dari awal lagi, Hishammuddin kena berani mengisytiharkan penceroboh bersenjata sebagai pengganas tetapi itu tidak berlaku.

“Kesannya, keselamatan dan kedaulatan negara serta rakyat Sabah terancam berpunca kelembapan kerajaan untuk bertindak pantas.

“Akibatnya nyawa anggota keselamatan terkorban dan sekarang mereka menggunakan Tian pula untuk dijadikan kambing hitam sebagai alasan menutup kelemahan kerajaan Umno BN,” kata Fariz. – NS

Tian Chua cuba ditahan di kafetaria Mahkamah

 

Tian Chua charged with sedition

  
PKR vice-president Tian Chua claimed trial today to a sedition charge that he made a remark accusing Umno of being involved in the Lahad Datu insurgency crisis.

The sessions court in Kuala Lumpur, where he was charged, set bail of RM5,000 on one surety.

Tian Chua, who is the MP for Batu, was charged under Section 4(1)(b) of Sedition Act 1948 for saying, at 11am on March 1, that the gunfight in Lahad Datu was a conspiracy of the Umno government.


Tian Chua, who is the MP for Batu, was charged under Section 4(1)(b) of Sedition Act 1948 for saying, at 11am on March 1, that the gunfight in Lahad Datu was a conspiracy of the Umno government.  

He is represented by N Surendran, Latheefa Koya, Willian Leong, Eric Paulsen and two others.

"This is politically motivated. I will clear my name in this slander case against me," Tian Chua said from the stand for the accused in the courtroom, after the charge was read to him.

Sessions judge Sekeri Mamat set April 12 for mention.

The court was informed by Surendran that the defence plans to have the charge struck out in the High Court.

Deputy public prosecutors Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim and Mohd Farizul Hassan appeared for the Attorney-General's Chambers.

PKR fumes as cops try to 'arrest' Tian Chua...

A minor altercation broke out this morning between PKR supporters and police who tried to have party vice-president Tian Chua detained prior to charging him with sedition.

The incident took place at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex canteen when Tian chua was having tea with his lawyers and supporters, while awaiting instructions from the court on the move to charge him with the offence.

Tian Chua, who is the MP for Batu, was charged under Section 4(1)(b) of Sedition Act 1948 for saying, at 11am on March 1, that the gunfight in Lahad Datu was a conspiracy of the Umno government.

At 9.45am, some eight police officers showed up and told Tian Chua to go stay in lock-up before being charged.

Tian Chua's lawyers Latheefa Koya, N Surendran and Eric Paulsen objected to the request.

The incident incensed PKR supporters, who shouted angrily at the police officers.

They said the police were being unfair as Umno leaders and Malay rights group (Perkasa) leaders had not been subjected to such actions in the past.

Johor Selatan crime investigation department’s ASP Wong Chee Mean explained to the group that they did not intend to handcuff and put Chua in lock-up, but only to “escort" him to the police room in the complex.

However, Latheefa argued that the move could be perceived as act to arrest Tian Chua, as confining his movement would constitute arrest.

Tian Chua, she said, has been cooperative with the police and as such the move was meant to embarrass the PKR leader.-malaysiakini

cheers.