Three charged over price hike protest gathering in KL

KUALA LUMPUR: Three individuals were charged in separate Magistrate's Courts here today for organising protest gatherings over rising prices of goods here last month.

The three - Parti Amanah Negara Youth chief Mohd Hasbie Muda, 35; Batu PKR Youth chief Muhammad Sabda Suluh Lestari Yahya, 33; and student activist Muhammad Aliff Naif Mohd Fizam, 24 - pleaded not guilty before Magistrates Wong Chai Sia, Aina Azahara Arifin and S. Mageswary respectively.

According to the charge sheet, as organisers they had allegedly failed to notify Dang Wangi police five days before staging the gatherings at Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru, Jalan Raja Alang and in front of the Sogo Complex in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

Mohd Hasbie is alleged to have committed the offence at 2 pm on July 1, while Muhammad Sabda and Muhammad Aliff committed the same offence at 3.30 pm on July 9 and 2 pm on July 23 respectively.

They were charged under Section 9 (1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 and liable to be punished under Section 9 (5) of the same Act, which provides for a maximum fine of RM10,000 upon conviction.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutors Kamarul Aris Kamalluddin, Afiq Nazrin Zaharinan, Izalina Abdullah, Muhamad Zuraidi Zulkifli and Nur Aqilah Ishak while lawyers Muhammad Faiz Fadzil, Bryan Ng Yih Miin and Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi represented all the accused.

The court allowed Mohd Hasbie and Muhammad Aliff bail of RM3,000 each in one surety, and Muhammad Sabda bail of RM7,000 in one surety.

The court also ordered Muhammad Aliff to refrain from making sub judice statements before the disposal of the case and fixed Sept 21, 22 and 28 for mention.

-- BERNAMA