Thankful for acquittal, Azmi says can’t celebrate until others freed of sedition law

After being discharged and acquitted of sedition, associate law professor Dr Azmi Sharom vows to continue speaking up and making comments in the public domain as he sees fit. "I've never stopped and I don't think I've ever said anything seditious. "I've always been careful and I will continue to do what I've been doing all these years. "I don't see any reason to stop," he said when asked if he would continue to make comments such as the one that landed him the sedition charge. On September 2, 2014, Azmi was charged under Section 4(1)(b) and Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act over his comments in an article titled "Take Perak crisis route for speedy end to Selangor impasse, Pakatan told" published in a news portal. He was discharged and acquitted today after the Attorney-General's Chambers announced on February 12 that they were dropping the case against Azmi. Azmi, however, said that while he was happy the case was over, he could not fully celebrate until others charged with sedition like him were also free. "It is hard to celebrate completely because there are others who are being charged under this law or undergoing trial. "I've always said it's not a particularly good law. "One can't be totally happy until everybody is free," he added. Azmi's lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, who appeared with counsel Datuk Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, hailed the decision by judge Amernudin Ahmad who used his discretion to discharge and acquit Azmi. DPP Ezrene Zakariah had earlier requested for a discharge not amounting to acquittal. "We welcome the decision to acquit, so it's over," Gobind said after court proceedings. Gobind also welcomed the decision by Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali to withdraw the charge against Azmi, saying that it was a step in the right direction. "Our position has always been that the Sedition Act should be repealed. "And the new A-G has embarked on a new process of reconsidering the charges under the sedition law and that is a step in the right direction. "Similarly, we feel he should withdraw all pending sedition charges; the sedition law is outdated and no one should be prosecuted for it," Gobind said. On Wednesday, less than a week after the charge against Azmi was withdrawn, the A-G's Chambers dropped the sedition charge against Johor PKR chairman Hassan Karim. On November 20 last year the A-G's Chambers withdrew its charge against DAP lawmaker Teresa Kok who was charged with sedition over a video clip aired in conjunction with the Chinese New Year two years ago. No reason was given by the prosecution on the matter. Kok, who is Seputeh MP, pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court on May 6, 2014 to a charge of producing a seditious video clip entitled, "Teresa Kok ONEderful Malaysia CNY 2014", in conjunction with the Chinese New Year in February that year. – February 19, 2016.]]>