KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 ― The proceedings of a sedition case involving Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik scheduled for today has been postponed, pending the result of his lawyers’ appeal to review the former Malacca chief minister’s charge.
Rahim’s lawyer Wan Azmir Wan Majid said he had submitted the letter of representation for the appeal for the second time, after the first one was returned back to his team by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).
“Basically the matter today was adjourned for another date by judge Slamat Yahya, pending the result of the letter of representation, to March 1,” he told Malay Mail Online.
A letter of representation is an appeal to the AGC by the person charged, appealing on the charges or sentence, or to even plead for a change to refer the case to a different section of the law.
However, Wan Azmir said he was not at liberty to discuss contents of his client’s appeal to the AGC.
“The content of our representation, I can’t disclose because I don’t have permission… this is the second representation letter after we amended the first one,” he said.
Wan Azmir said no trial date has been fixed for Rahim’s case as yet and the matter is still at the case mention stage.
“No trial is fixed yet, it’s all mention for now because this is a sensitive matter involving a Sultan’s son. If it goes for trial, many matters have to be litigated and because of that the representation was filed,” he added.
In October last year, Rahim pleaded not guilty after he was charged with sedition at the Sessions Court here over an alleged claim that the Selangor crown prince had converted to Christianity.
Rahim was charged under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948, with an alternative charge under Section 233(1) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
According to the charge sheet, at around 8am on September 25, Rahim had allegedly published a comment claiming that the Selangor crown prince Tengku Amir Shah had embraced Christianity.
In the post, he also wrote that the alleged conversion was a grave disappointment to Muslims in the country and around the world.
If convicted under Section 4(1), Rahim faces a maximum fine of RM5,000 or a maximum jail term of three years or both.
Under the alternative charge, he faces a fine of no more than RM50,000 or a maximum one-year jail term or both.
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