Activist charged with posting seditious article

KUALA LUMPUR: An opposition activist pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here yesterday to a charge of publishing a seditious article on the Federal Court's decision in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's second sodomy case.

Used-car sales promoter Lawrence Jayaraj Edwin John, 46, was charged with posting the article on a Facebook website at the office of the Classified Crimes Investigation Unit, Criminal Investigation Department, Level 2, Tower 2, Bukit Aman police headquarters here at 4.45 pm last Feb 12.

The charge, under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948, carries a fine of up to RM5,000 or maximum three year imprisonment or both, if found guilty.

The father of seven children also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of using the Internet application to post and share comments with intention to hurt the feeling of others on Facebook at the same place, time and date.

The alternative charge was made under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which provides a fine of up to RM5,000 or imprisonment for up to three years, or both, if found guilty, and for subsequent offence, imprisonment for up to five years.

Deputy public prosecutor Suhaimi Ibrahim, who prosecuted, offered bail at RM7,000 in two sureties, but lawyer Eric Paulsen, representing Jayaraj, requested bail to be reduced to RM2,000, saying that his client earned RM900 a month and was the sole family breadwinner.

Judge Azman Ahmad set bail at RM5,000 with two sureties. Jayaraj's wife and older brother posted the bail.

The court set Jan 6 next year for mention for submission of documents.

Last Feb 10, the Federal Court upheld the five year jail sentence on Anwar for sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, in 2008. - Bernama