Cow head protestors face sedition, illegal assembly charges

[Flex]

Cow head protestors face sedition, illegal assembly charges

Excerpts taken from : http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/37105-cow-head-protestors-face-sedition-illegal-assembly-charges (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/37105-cow-head-protestors-face-sedition-illegal-assembly-charges)

UPDATED

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — Bowing to public pressure, the government is expected to charge the cow head protestors under the Sedition Act and for illegal assembly.





The Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail confirmed the charges today.

The protestors are likely to be charged tomorrow in Shah Alam.



A group of more than 50 people said to be residents of Section 23 in Shah Alam had protested recently in front of the state secretariat against the proposed relocation of a Hindu temple to their neighbourhood.

The Malay-Muslim protestors had threatened bloodshed, and stamped on and spat at a severed cow head, in a highly provocative gesture because the animal is considered sacred by Hindus.

Gani said today that most of the protestors will be charged for illegal assembly.

But those who uttered the provocative words and steeped on the cow’s head will be charged for sedition.

“I have decided to charge those who carried and spoke while stepping on the cow head under Sect 4 (1) of the Sedition Act alternatively Section 298 of the Penal Code.

“They as well the other demonstrators will also face another charge under section 27 (5) of the Police Act for illegal assembly,” Gani said in the press statement today.

He said that the police had submitted their investigation papers to him today and he was satisfied there was enough evidence to charge the cow head protestors.

The provocative manner of the protest continued last Saturday, when some residents caused a commotion at a town hall meeting with them, by shouting and heckling at the mentri besar and other state lawmakers until the dialogue was called off.

The state government announced today they had found an alternative site for the temple, just a few hundred metres away from the originally proposed location.

[Flex]

AG: Cow head protestors will be charged in court

Excerpts taken from : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/9/7/nation/20090907191126&sec=nation (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/9/7/nation/20090907191126&sec=nation)

PUTRAJAYA: There is enough evidence to charge the cow head protestors of Section 23, Shah Alam, said Attorney General Tan Sri Gani Patail.

“I have decided to charge those who carried and spoke while stepping on the cow head under Sect 4 (1) of the Sedition Act alternatively Section 298 of the Penal Code.

“They as well the other demonstrators will also face another charge under section 27 (5) of the Police Act for illegal assembly,” he said in a press statement on Monday.

He said that the police had submitted their investigation papers to him personally on Monday afternoon and he was satisfied that, based on the facts and evidence gathered by the police, the demonstrators should be taken to court.

Residents of Section 23 in Shah Alam had staged a protest last week against the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor Government’s decision to relocate a 150-year-old temple from Section 19 to their Malay-majority area.

One of them had carried cow's head and stepped on it.

On Monday the state government said that an alternate site in Section 23 had been identified for the relocation of the temple.

The manner of the protest drew heavy criticism from various parties, including members of the public, for insulting religious sensitivities.

Residents, on the other hand, had filed a police report to say that the parade of the cow’s head was meant to be a symbol of the “stupidity of the government”, and was not meant as a religious insult to the Hindus.

The fear of stoking religious sentiments led to the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) directing news portal, Malaysiakini, to remove footage and videos on the cow’s head protest from its website immediately following numerous public complaints.

Last week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that he left it to the AG to determine if there were any violations of law when the residents staged the protest.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein also met with the association and representatives of residents of Section 23 in Shah Alam to find a resolution the issue.

Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, instead, was adamant that the Section 19 temple be relocated to Section 23, unless the residents and other interested parties could propose a more suitable location.

Since the incident, the police have recorded statements from more than 100 people to assist investigations into the matter.

[LeechFever]

Too soon to tell until they actually receive the punishment. Who knows if they going to do another flip, then a flop and in the end a 360deg sommersault.

[Flex]

Too soon to tell until they actually receive the punishment. Who knows if they going to do another flip, then a flop and in the end a 360deg sommersault.

Yup, your opinion shows just how much credibility the government of the day has in the eyes of it's peoples.

[Flex]

Police nab four out of 12 cow head protesters
Published: Tuesday September 8, 2009 MYT 5:32:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday September 8, 2009 MYT 5:52:14 PM

By STEVEN DANIEL

Excerpts taken from : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/9/8/nation/20090908173527&sec=nation (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/9/8/nation/20090908173527&sec=nation)

PETALING JAYA: Police on Tuesday nabbed four out of the 12 people allegedly involved in the cow head protest at the state secretariat building in Shah Alam on Aug 28, said Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar.

The others have been asked to come to the police station by the end of the day, failing which police would pick them up, he said.

DCP Khalid said they were likely to be charged in court on Wednesday.

“Several will be charged with illegal assembly, several under the Sedition Act and some with both,” he said.

On Monday, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said that those who protested against the relocation of 150-year-old Hindu temple in Section 19 to Section 23 in Shah Alam would be hauled to court.

In the statement on Monday, he had said that “those who carried and spoke while stepping on the cow’s head under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act alternatively Section 298 of the Penal Code.”

“They, as well as the other demonstrators, will also be facing another charge under Section 27(5) of the Police Act 1967 for illegal assembly.”

On Aug 28, some 50 people, led by residents of Section 23, marched some 300m from the state mosque to the gates of the State Secretariat building to protest against the relocation of the Sri Mahamariamman temple from Section 19 to Section 23.

They carried a cow’s head and stepped on it, kicked it and spat on it during the protest.

They also warned of further action if the temple was built in their area.

The manner of the protest drew heavy criticism from various parties for insulting religious sensitivities as cows are considered holy by Hindus.

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Cow head protestors charged with sedition, illegal assembly (Update 2)
Published: Wednesday September 9, 2009 MYT 11:07:00 AM
Updated: Wednesday September 9, 2009 MYT 4:48:48 PM
By YENG AI CHUN

Excerpts taken from : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/9/9/nation/20090909110912&sec=nation (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/9/9/nation/20090909110912&sec=nation)

SHAH ALAM: Six men were charged with sedition at the Sessions Court on Wednesday for their involvement in a protest in which they dragged a cow’s head to the front of the state secretariat building last month, then proceeded to stamp and spit on it.

The six were also charged with taking part in an illegal assembly, along with six other men, at the Magistrates Court.

The 12 men were among some 50 people, led by residents of Section 23 here, who on Aug 28 marched about 300m from the state mosque to the gates of the state secretariat building to protest against the relocation of the Sri Mahamariamman temple from Section 19 to their neighbourhood.

The six charged with sedition under Section 4 (1) of the Sedition Act 1948, alternatively under Section 298 of the Penal Code, pleaded not guilty and bail was set at RM4,000 each with one surety.

Ibrahim Sabri, 42, and Ahmad Mahayuddin Abd Manaf were charged with allegedly stepping on the cow’s head with the tendency to incite, where the act could create feelings of unsatisfactory and animosity towards Hindus.

The offence carries a punishment of a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or both.

Eyzva Ezhar Ramly, 31, was charged with allegedly carrying the cow’s head while Mohd Azmir Mohd Zain, 35, Ahmad Suhairy Zakaria, 30, and Mohd Hilmi Ni, 40, were charged with carrying and stepping on it.

The six were also alternatively charged with deliberate intend to wound religious feelings of any person, and if convicted, can be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, a fine, or both.

The accused were represented by lead counsel Datuk Salehuddin Saldin and a team of six lawyers. Judge Hasbi Hassan presided.

DPP Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar requested bail of RM15,000 for each but Salehuddin shot down the request, saying that the six men voluntarily turned up at court despite only being informed the night before.

“If we look at the facts of the case, it was not their intention to insult any religion that is practised by other races.

“For Malays, a cow is synonymous with stupidity and not synonymous with religious matters. It is not as a serious offence as portrayed,” claimed Salehuddin, adding that bail should be set at RM500 each.

Mohd Dusuki argued that a RM500 bail was not suitable for the charges as it has received wide coverage in the media and it involved public interest.

“The fact that there is wide coverage should not be a consideration in setting the amount of bail. So what if the coverage is wide? If the reporters blow the case out of proportion, can the accused be punished for this?” Salehuddin told a packed courtroom.

These six men were later charged at the Magistrates Court together with Jainudin @ Zainudin Md Yusuff, 67, Mohd Jurit Ramli, 39, Mohammad Nordin Zakaria, 46, Jamil Mohamad Isa, 40, Rahimuddin Md Harun, 39 and Azahari Shaari, 39, with illegal assembly under Section 27 (5) of the Police Act 1967.

If found guilty, they are liable to a fine of not less than RM2,000 and not more than RM10,000, and imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year.

All 12 men claimed trial in front of another packed courtroom.

Mohd Dusuki asked for bail of RM10,000 for each and Salehuddin requested a lower amount of RM500.

“In previous cases of illegal assembly, the bail was set at RM500. Lately, there have been many illegal assemblies and they involved people who want to express their intentions.

“There are six of them who are also facing other charges in another court for the same transaction. Because of this, bail should be set lower,” Salehuddin said.

Magistrate Norkamilah Aziz set bail at RM300 with one surety for those facing sedition charges and at RM500 for the others.

Mention for both cases has been set for Oct 21.

After proceedings, newsmen asked Mohd Dusuki about the fate of the other protesters and he replied that it was up to the police to decide if they would charge the others.

The group of accused earlier arrived at court at 8.40am accompanied by local and outstation supporters. The 12 men shouted to the media present that they were not guilty and they were united in their stand.