Comedy act couple post bail with crowdfunded cash

KUALA LUMPUR: The couple involved in the controversial stand-up comedy act has posted bail.

Bailors for Siti Nuramira Abdullah, 26, and her boyfriend V. Alexander Navin, 38, paid RM20,000 for each of them at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex and the Petaling Jaya Court Complex where they were respectively charged.

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Lawyer R. Sivaraj, who represented the couple, said the RM40,000 amount was raised through crowdfunding within four days.

Last Friday (July 15), it was reported that human rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) would be helping Siti Nuramira and Alexander Navin to raise the necessary funds for their bail via crowdfunding using LFL’s bank account.

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"The court procedure for posting bail will be done today.

"But we are unsure of their release," Sivaraj said when met at the courthouse here on Monday (July 18).

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He said there were several reasons that could delay the release such as technicalities, transportation, and Covid-19 quarantine.

"We hope that they will be released today or tomorrow," he added.

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Sivaraj said Siti Nuramira is currently held at the Beranang satellite prison and Alexander is at the Kuala Kubu Baru satellite prison while awaiting transfer to Kajang Women’s Prison and Sg Buloh Prison, respectively.

Both are placed at the satellite prisons while awaiting transfer to Kajang Women’s Prison and Sg Buloh Prison, respectively.

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On July 13, Siti Nuramira pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court for insulting Islam.

According to the charge sheet, Siti Nuramira was accused of insulting Islam by admitting she was a Muslim and memorised 15 juz of the Quran before discarding her tudung and baju kurung at the Crackhouse Comedy Club restaurant in Taman Tun Dr Ismail on June 4.

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Siti Nuramira was charged under Section 298A of the Penal Code with causing disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will, or prejudicing the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion.

She is facing a maximum five years imprisonment, upon conviction.

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Meanwhile, Alexander Navin pleaded not guilty to two counts under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for misusing network facilities.

For the first charge, Alexander Navin was accused of sharing a posting on his Instagram account on June 5 with the intention to insult other people.

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For the second charge, he allegedly shared content via his YouTube account on June 16 with the intention of insulting others.

Prior to their arrests, a 54-second video circulated on social media showing a woman claiming to have memorised 15 juz of the Quran before discarding her tudung and baju kurung, leaving her in a low-cut top and short skirt.

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The video was of a performance during an open-mic night at the Crackhouse Comedy Club in TTDI.

The comedy club has been temporarily closed pending investigations of licenses of the premises.