AG to lead appeal against landmark sedition ruling

Mohamed Apandi, who was in court today to lead the team of senior federal counsels to represent the government in the matter, acknowledged his rare appearance in the courts.

"The appeal proper, I will handle it myself because, to me, it is a public interest case.

"This is something of importance, public interest and involves criminal law and civil law, which I want to have it (to be) finally decided by the highest court.

"I don't normally come, it is because this case is very important," he told reporters after the court proceeding.

Today was the second time Mohamed Ali made his appearance in court since he took office as the ninth Attorney-General (AG) on July 28, 2015.

The first was on June 30 last year at the Penang High Court when he led the prosecution team in the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's corruption case.

In the court proceeding today, Mohamed Apandi had, in the introduction of parties in the case, addressed Sri Muda Assemblyman Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei's lead counsel Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram as his "sahabat and abang" (friend and elder brother).

Sri Ram, a former Federal Court judge, retired in Feb 2010 and Mohamed Apandi was also a Federal Court judge prior to his appointment as the AG.

A three-man Federal Court bench chaired by Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin today granted leave for the government to appeal against the appellate court ruling that section 3 (3) of the Sedition Act 1948 is unconstitutional.

With the leave application granted, the government can proceed to file its notice of appeal within 14 days and the record of appeal within eight weeks before the court could set the hearing date for the appeal.

On Nov 25, last year the appellate court allowed Mat Shuhaimi's appeal and declared that provision in the Sedition Act invalid.