KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — The Attorney-General should withdraw his appeal against the acquittal of Bilqis Hijjas over the dropping of yellow balloons at an official event and focus on “real criminals” instead, activists said.
Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) executive director Sevan Doraisamy said the AG was wasting time in appealing the case after the dancer was acquitted at the Magistrate’s Court here last month of insulting behaviour under the Minor Offences Act 1955.
"Wasting of time and he has a better job to do. AG should withdraw (appeal) immediately. Criminalising and giving unnecessary heavy weightage," he told Malay Mail Online.
"Leave balloon dropping alone. He should pay attention to other cases like the rape cases and injustice."
Bersih 2.0 chair Maria Chin Abdullah and Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) chief Cynthia Gabriel also agreed that the AG should drop the appeal, saying Bilqis had not hurt or insulted anyone.
"None was insulted and there is insufficient argument to show her action was insulting. It was well said by the Magistrate judge," Chin said.
"I strongly urge the AG to be more measured and withdraw the appeal immediately. Bilqis' action has not insulted or hurt anyone,” added the head of the electoral reform group.
Cynthia said the government must accept that as public officers, they would be subject to various acts of expression.
"So long as peaceful and no violent act [is] involved, there is nothing criminal about it.
"It is more urgent now than ever to chase after the real criminals that threaten our economics and social security,” said the activist.
Civil liberties lawyer Syahredzan Johan also echoed the activists’ views, saying that the AG’s appeal was totally unnecessary.
"It is a waste of resources. There is no point of law to argue and the maximum sentence that can be imposed if the appeal is allowed is only RM100," he told Malay Mail Online.
The AG's Chambers recently submitted an appeal against the acquittal of Bilqis, who had dropped yellow balloons during an official event attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife at a mall in August last year.
The notice of the appeal stated that the prosecutors were “not satisfied” with Magistrate Mohd Faizal Ismail’s decision to free Bilqis.
Charged under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 last September 23, Bilqis faces a maximum RM100 fine over alleged “insulting behaviour” with the purported purpose of inciting anger that may cause a disturbance of peace.
The charge did not specify who was alleged to have been insulted.
In the incident last August 31 at around 3.15pm at Pavilion, several yellow balloons printed with the words “Free media”, “Democracy” and “Justice” were said to have been released from the mall's fifth floor to the second floor where the Kuala Lumpur International Arts Festival's opening ceremony was held.
During the trial, several of the prosecution’s witnesses had associated the yellow colour of the balloons to Bersih 2.0’s two-day Bersih 4 rally last August 29 and August 30, where protesters had sought the prime minister’s removal.
