Tian Chua charged for injuring cop

Malaysiakini
Soon Li Tsin | Jan 11, 08

PKR’s information chief Tian Chua was today charged at the Kuala Lumpur magistrate’s court for injuring a policeman on Dec 11 last year while resisting arrest for taking part in an illegal assembly.

He claimed trial to a charge under Section 332 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt to Constable Rosyaidi Anuar and deterring him from performing his duty.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Hanafiah Zakaria read out the charges without indicating what was the injury suffered by the police personnel.
The charged sheet stated that Chua had allegedly voluntarily caused hurt to Rosyaidi at 10.45am at Jalan Parlimen outside the Parliament house.
Chua’s lawyer Ranjit Singh began asking Hanafiah to elaborate on the nature of the injury before magistrate Tasmin Abu Bakar interrupted him to limit his arguments on the bail amount.
She later set bail at RM3,000. The case will be heard on April 16 and 17.
If found guilty, Chua can face a maximum of three-year jail, or a fine, or both.
Outside the court, Hanafiah told the media that the injury sustained by Rosyaidi was on the left arm but did not reveal the nature or the seriousness if it. Earlier media reports however said that Chua had allegedly bitten Rosyaidi while resisting arrest.
On Dec 11 last year, Chua was among 17 activists from Coalition for Clean & Fair Elections (Bersih) who were arrested for breaching a ban to gather at Parliament to submit a memorandum against a constitutional amendment which would increase the retirement age of the Election Commissioners.
Jan 17 illegal assembly charge
The remaining 16 Bersih protesters – who had their bail extended three times by the magistrate -were expected to be charged together with Chua today for participating in an illegal assembly.
However, a large number of them did not appear in court today.
Lawyer for the protesters Latheefa Koya said senior DPP Yusof Zainal Abiden told her they will instead be charged on Jan 17.
“He informed me that the investigation officer said charges have been dropped against three individuals and one of them is Abdul Razak Ismail,” he told Malaysiakini.
Abdul Razak was with Chua when they were arrested together when they failed to stop at a roadblock leading to the Parliament.
Those scheduled to be charged on Jan 17 include PAS treasurer Dr Hatta Ramli, the party’s women wing chief Nuridah Mohd Salleh and central committee member Dr Lo’ Lo’ Ghazali, and Parti Sosialis Malaysia pro-tem chairperson Dr Nasir Hashim, secretary-general S Arutchelvan and party central committee member S Sivarajan.

Restraining order

On Dec 11,more than 400 police surrounded the Parliament to block the electoral reform campaigners who were forced to march there on foot after all roads leading to the building were closed off.
Trees lining the streets were posted with copies of a court order obtained by police that banned the campaigners from Parliament.
The police obtained a rare restraining court order – the second of its kind following one to ban the Nov 25 rally organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force – prohibiting four named individuals and other Bersih supporters from attending or taking part in the gathering.
The named persons were PAS leaders Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi, Mohamad Sabu and Adenaan Saad and Malaysian Trade Union Congress chief Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud.
The order also stipulated that “other interested parties” are similarly prohibited from taking part in the gathering. It allowed the police to ‘arrest on sight’ those found in the vicinity of Parliament House.