KUALA LUMPUR: Karpal Singh is claiming selective prosecution in the suit brought against him for allegedly uttering seditious words during a 2010 media conference about Sultan Azlan Shah's removal of Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as the Mentri Besar.
During an examination-in-chief within the sedition trial, Karpal's counsel Gobind Singh Deo told High Court judge Justice Azman Abdullah Friday that if selective prosecution was proven, the judge must dismiss the case.
Gobind then showed a police report Karpal had lodged against former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohd Noor Abdullah on May 15 where Mohd Noor had said to expect a backlash
from the Malays after a "Chinese Tsunami" during the 13th general election.
Asked whether he knew if any action had been taken against Mohd Noor, Karpal, 73, said there had been "something in the newspaper about police planning to question him", but nothing more.
The charge under section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act carries a maximum fine of RM5,000 or three years in jail, or both, if convicted.
Gobind claimed that there were also other instances when police reports filed had gone unheeded.
For example, he highlighted Karpal's Jan 22 report against then Pasir Mas MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali for asking Muslims to “seize and burn” Bibles which used the word “Allah”.
Gobind also tried to submit a newspaper report about five non-governmental organisations that had lodged a police report two days ago against Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, accusing the A-G’s Chambers of abuse of power.
However, Deputy public prosecutor Noorin Badaruddin objected, saying that under the Evidence Act, documents tendered should be in original form and not reproduced.
Justice Azman set July 26 for continuation of the examination-in-chief to give the defence time to produce the relevant documents.
On June 11, 2010, the High Court had acquitted Karpal of sedition, without calling for his defence, but the decision was reversed by the Court of Appeal on Jan 20 last year.
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