KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — The Attorney-General withdrew a sedition charge against Johor PKR chief Hassan Karim today, following a similar decision against pursuing court action against Universiti Malaya senior law lecturer Azmi Sharom just days ago.

Hassan confirmed that the AG agreed to accept his lawyer Jimmy Puah’s January 12 representation letter to ask the public prosecutor to consider dropping the charge.

“This morning in the Sessions Court Johor Baru, the DPP asked the court to withdraw the charges against me. So the court gave the order — discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA),” he told Malay Mail Online when contacted.

According to Hassan, the representation letter had pointed out that he was investigated for criminal defamation under Section 500 of the Penal Code where as he was charged under the Sedition Act.

It also urged the public prosecutor to compare the facts against the charge to see if his remarks were indeed seditious.

The representation letter had also said that Hassan, as a lawyer, has the duty to “tell the truth”.

He said the Attorney-General’s Chambers had yesterday faxed a reply to the representation letter.

“In the (reply) letter, the public prosecutor said that after studying and considering the representation and the investigation papers, the public prosecutor agreed to drop the charge,” he said when asked for the prosecution’s reasons for discontinuing the case against him.

Deputy public prosecutor Syeela Marlia Utthman appeared for the prosecution today at the mention of Hassan’s sedition case before Sessions Court judge Kamarudin Kasmun, while Puah appeared for Hassan.

Last November 17, Hassan was charged under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act over remarks allegedly made at 9pm at a February 13, 2015 rally held at Jalan Betik 1, Masai, Johor.

A conviction for this offence will result in a maximum RM 5,000 fine or a maximum three-year jail term or both.

Today, Hassan said he was thankful to God and the public prosecutor, adding that the AG’s decision to drop the sedition case against him and Azmi is a good opportunity for the public prosecutor to regain public confidence.

“I hope the AG will consider to drop all the sedition charges against others — lawyers, politicians, NGO leaders, social activists, including cartoonist like Zunar,” he said, also expressing hope that the government would abolish the Sedition Act as promised by the prime minister in the past.

Despite the sedition charge in Johor, Hassan still has another sedition case at the Shah Alam Sessions Court that has been fixed for mention on March 23.

Last November 16, Hassan pleaded not guilty in Shah Alam to three charges under Section 4(1)(centre) of the Sedition Act and claimed trial to three alternative charges under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act for allegedly criticising the Selangor Sultan on Twitter during the Selangor Mentri Besar crisis.

When asked if he will similarly request for his Shah Alam sedition case to be dropped, Hassan said: “My lawyer will consider that and other options.”