KAJANG, July 21 ― Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) president Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman today denied at his sedition trial that he had labelled the ethnic Chinese as “intruders” in Malaysia.
The head of the conservative Muslim group said he was “unsure” why the alleged remarks were found in the article titled “The coming of the Chinese with the British colonialists a form of intrusion” that was published on the Isma website on May 6, 2014.
Abdullah Zaik’s lawyer Salim Bashir asked him at the trial at the Kajang Sessions Court here if he had uttered remarks such as: “The Chinese people come to this country with the British colonialists as intruders”.
Abdullah Zaik simply replied: “No”.
He also denied that the www.ismaweb.net website was related to his group, adding that it had no control over publication of articles there.
Judge Noridah Adam fixed August 22 for submission and August 30 to deliver her decision.
Abdullah Zaik was slapped with two sedition charges on June 19, 2014, over remarks allegedly made on May 6 in which he was purported to have called Malaysia’s ethnic Chinese community “intruders” brought into the country by British colonialists to oppress the Malays.
He was accused of uttering the remarks at Isma's Bandar Baru Bangi headquarters at 10am on May 6, said to run foul of Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act.
Under the alternative charge of Section 4(1)(c), Abdullah Zaik was accused of publishing the article on Isma's website between 3pm and 3.30pm on the same day at the same place.
He was acquitted of the first charge on May this year, but had to enter his defence for the alternative charge.
If found guilty, Abdullah Zaik could be sentenced up to three years in jail or fined a maximum RM5,000 or both.
