Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email I was surprised to read that the cow head protestors pleaded guilty. Thought that these guys had “bertaubat” (repented)….until I read that the charges had been amended to illegal assembly instead of seditious act. Two of them were found guilty under Sedition Act and fined RM3000, and one of them have to serve 1 week jail sentence as well. The others paid RM1000 each as fine.
The 12 cow-head protesters, who pleaded guilty earlier Tuesday to a charge of illegal assembly, were fined RM1,000 each or a month’s jail in default by the Sessions Court here.
Two of the men were also fined RM3,000 each for a sedition charge, one of whom was sentenced to a week in jail as well.
Four others on the same sedition charge were given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.
Judge Hasbi Hasan fined the 12 men after they pleaded guilty to committing the offence at the State Secretariat building on Aug 28 last year.
The 12 were Ahmad Mahayuddin Abd Manaf, 36, Ibrahim Sabri, 43, Eyzva Ezhar Ramly, 31, Mohd Azmir Mohd Zain, 35, Ahmad Suhairy Zakaria, 30, Mohd Hilmi Ni, 40,Jainuddin @ Zainuddin Md Yusuff, 67, Mohd Jurit Ramli, 39, Mohamad Nordin Zakaria, 46, Jamil Mohamad Isa, 40, Rahimuddin Md Harun, 39, and Azhari Shaari, 39.
Eyzva Ezhar and Mohd Azmir Mohd Zain were each also fined RM3,000 or three months’ jail on the sedition charge. Eyzva Ezhar was also sentenced to a week in jail.
Eyzva Ezhar was ordered to serve his week in jail after he completes his current jail time. He is currently serving time in a prison in Jelebu for a previous drug conviction that will end on Aug 4.
Four – Ahmad Suhairy, Mohd Hilmi, Ibrahim and Ahmad Mahayuddin Abd Manaf – were granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal after the other two pleaded guilty to sedition charge.
The 12 were part of group – which brought a cow’s head to the gate of the State Secretariat building – protesting the relocation of a 150-year-old Sri Maha Mariamman Hindu temple from Section 19 to their neighbourhood in Section 23. They were all earlier charged under the Sedition Act 1948.
For me, it looks much lighter than a slap on the wrist. MHS says its warning for other possible protestors:
Hindu Sangam president Mohan Shanmugam described the fines imposed on the cow-head protestors today as “minimal” but still served as a warning to groups looking to stoke religious tension.
… “We welcome the justice,” he told The Malaysian Insider when contacted. “Although the charges are very minimal but it shows that everyone charged will be brought to justice. This is a warning for everybody.”
What do you think? Should the punishment be more harsh to show the seriousness of the issue?
