PKR MP drops appeal, goes to jail

Tian Chua may be released in time for next parliamentary meeting

PUTRAJAYA: PKR’s Batu MP Tian Chua will likely be released from prison in time to attend the next parliamentary meeting.

Tian Chua, whose real name is Chua Tian Chang, was sent to jail yesterday for refusing a police order to leave the restricted Police Training Centre (Pulapol) area after the Bersih 3 rally in 2012.

At the Court of Appeal yesterday, he withdrew his appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision to uphold the Sessions Court’s sentence of one month’s jail and a fine of RM1,000.

He also dismissed his lawyers N. Surendran, Latheefa Koya and Shahid Adli Kamaruddin before delivering a statement from the dock.

“I would like to emphasise that accepting my prison sentence is not an admission of wrongdoing,” Tian Chua said, thanking supporters who filled the public gallery.

Deputy public prosecutor Nurulhuda Noraini Mohd Nor objected to the statement while it was being read, saying Chua was speaking on matters not raised in the appeal and speculative in nature.

The panel chaired by Court of Appeal judge Justice Moktaruddin Baki accepted the withdrawal, saying it was Tian Chua’s right under the law.

After a brief standdown, the panel, which included Justices Zakaria Sam and Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, unanimously struck out the appeal and issued a warrant of committal against Tian Chua effective yesterday.

Tian Chua was led out of the court by police officers and sent to Kajang Prison at about 12.30pm.

Speaking to reporters, Latheefa said Tian Chua would not be disqualified as an MP on the basis of this conviction and would effectively be a sitting MP in prison.

An MP can only be disqualified if he is sentenced to more than one year’s jail or fined more than RM2,000 upon conviction.

Surendran confirmed that Tian Chua would be able to run for office in the next general election and would likely be out of prison by the end of October in time to debate Budget 2018.