Adam charged with sedition, out on bail
His lawyers are planning to file an application at the High Court to declare the case against him is frivolous.
K Pragalath, FMT
Student activist Adam Adli was this morning charged under the Sedition Act at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for allegedly making a seditious statement. He claimed trial.
Sessions Court judge Norsharidah Awang fixed the bail at RM5,000 with one bailor, and fixed July 2 for mentioning.
Adam, 24, was arrested in Kuala Lumpur on May 18 for remarks he allegedly made during a post-GE13 forum on May 13. He was held in remand for five days.
This morning, deputy public prosecutor, Mohd Abazafri Mohd Abbas, sought to set bail at RM5,000 “to ensure his (Adam’s) attendance in court”. Abazafri was assisted by deputy public prosecutors Azrina Ali and Nadia Tahyuddin.
Adam was represented by lawyers N Surendran, S Ambiga, Afiq M Noor and Michelle Yesudass.
Both Surendran and Ambiga argued that the bail amount was high, and said the case was frivolous without prima facie.
“The Sedition Act is also going to be repealed. We will file an application to strike out the case at the High Court as soon as possible,” said Surendran.
Upon his release on bail, Adam addressed his supporters at the court lobby.
“It is an experience in defending democracy. Thank you all. This is why I love this country,” he said. Funds collected during his remand period was used to bail him out.
Adam was arrested under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act and Section 124(B) of the Penal Code on May 18 in Bangsar for making statements during a May 13 forum held at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.
Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act provides that it is a criminal offence to make any oral, printed and published statements or acts with “seditious tendency”.
Section 124(B) of the Penal Code states that “whoever, by any means, directly or indirectly, commits an activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 20 years.”
If Adam is found guilty of sedition, he could be imprisoned for up to three years, fined up to RM5,000, or both.
In the forum, Adam, along with other activists, had called for a street demonstration to protest alleged electoral fraud during the general election.
