Papagomo requests AGC to drop sedition charge

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Umno Youth exco Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, better known as Papagomo, has written in to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) to drop the charge against him for allegedly making seditious remarks against the government last year.

Lawyer Logen Eskander Abdullah, representing the blogger, informed the Sessions Court that the representation was submitted to the AGC on April 5.

Deputy public prosecutor Deepa Nair Thevaharan said there was no decision regarding the representation because the prosecution had just received a copy yesterday morning.

Judge Siti Aminah Ghazali then set May 23 for an update on the status of the representation, Bernama reported.

Logen Eskander told reporters that the representation was to drop the charge, but details on the representation could not be disclosed.

“I can only confirm the representation is to drop the charge faced by my client. The representation was submitted to the AGC by my office via courier on April 5,” he said.

On Jan 8, Wan Muhammad Azri, 41, pleaded not guilty to the charge of making seditious remarks linking the government to pro-Israel and pro-Western countries, on Facebook.

Wan Muhammad Azri is accused of making seditious remarks on the Halid Hamidi Facebook page (Halid Mat Kool), and the remarks were seen by a person at a condominium in Jalan Tong Shin, Bukit Bintang, at 1pm on Nov 8.

The charge was framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 and is punishable under Section 4(1) of the same law, which provides for a fine of not more than RM5,000, a maximum of three years in jail or both, if convicted.