Case against ‘balloon girl’ dropped
Prosecution withdraws appeal against acquittal
KUALA LUMPUR: The dance coach who dropped balloons on former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and wife is freed for good this Merdeka month after the prosecution decided to drop an appeal against her acquittal.
Bilqis Hijjas was charged with behaving in an insulting manner for releasing seven yellow balloons at an event in 2015 attended by Najib and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
DPP Nur Hafizah Rajuni informed the court yesterday that the prosecution would not proceed with the appeal.
“Today is fixed for hearing the appeal. However, there is a new development. The applicant wishes not to continue with the appeal. We pray for the appeal to be struck out,” said DPP Nur Hafizah.
High Court judge Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali then proceeded to strike out the appeal.
When met outside the courtroom, Bilqis said she was relieved with the decision.
“I am extremely happy to be freed on this Merdeka month and I’m hoping for the same for people who have similar charges levelled against them,” she said.
According to the charge sheet, Bilqis, who is the daughter of prominent architect Hijjas Kasturi, was accused of dropping the balloons from the fifth floor of a shopping mall in Jalan Bukit Bintang here at 3.15pm on Aug 31, 2015.
Najib and Rosmah were attending the DiverseCity 2015 Kuala Lumpur International Arts Festival on the ground floor of the mall.
The balloons had words “democracy”, “free media” and “justice” print- ed on them.
She was charged under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 for behaving in an insulting manner with the purpose of stirring anger, which would likely cause a disturbance.
The offence carries a fine of not more than RM100, upon conviction.
Bilqis was represented by lawyer Eric Paulsen.
The 39-year-old was originally charged with the offence on Sept 23, 2015 but was freed by a magistrate’s court at the end of prosecution’s case on July 1, 2016.
The prosecution appealed the decision and the High Court ordered her to enter her defence on Oct 3, 2017.
At the end of the defence case, a magistrate acquitted and discharged Bilqis for the second time on Nov 27, 2017.
The prosecution appealed this decision again on Dec 4, 2017.