KEDAH Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor is still tied to two sedition cases pertaining to the appointment of the Selangor Menteri Besar and the establishment of a unity government at the Shah Alam High Court despite Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah having accepted his apology yesterday (Sept 26).
In fact, the Kedah PAS deputy commissioner has to appear in court at 2pm today (Sept 27) to find out the status of his representation so that the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) can study the charges, including the prospect of dropping the case, according to Malay language daily Sinar Harian.
For the record, this is the second representation for Sanusi who is also the Jeneri state assemblyman after his first application to withdraw two sedition charges of uttering seditious remarks against the Sultan of Selangor and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the run-up to the six states election in August 2023 was rejected by the AGC in May.
The offence was committed during a ceramah session at Simpang 4, Taman Selayang Mutiara-Kampung Bendahara in Gombak, Selangor at 11pm on July 11, 2023.
Recall that Sanusi who is also the PAS election director had on July 18, 2023 pleaded not guilty in the Selayang Sessions Court on the two charges following which the case was transferred to the Shah Alam High Court on Feb 1 for trial.
The two offences are framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 which is punishable according to Section 4(1) of the same act which carries a fine of up to RM5,000 or a maximum imprisonment of three years or both upon conviction.
“The trial of the PAS leader’s case which should have started in July was postponed to this month (September),” updated Sinar Harian.
“Judge Datuk Aslam Zainuddin set today’s date (Sept 27) for case management after the defence counsel of Sanusi, 50, sent a representation to the AGC earlier that month. The High Court further set aside the trial dates of July 23, 29 and 30 as well as August 5, 6, 9, 12, 13, and 23 that were previously fixed by the court.”
Legal counsel Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud who represents the Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director believes the AGC needs time to consider the representation and examine new developments in the case involved.
This came about as Sultan Sharafuddin has responded to Sanusi’s apology by forgiving the latter “in the name of Muslim brotherhood and race”, adding that he did not want Muslims to harbour enmity towards one another.
Main image credit: Malaysiakini
