Activist Badrul Hisham Shaharin appeals to obtain a journalist’s statement for his Forest City sedition case defence, with the Court of Appeal hearing set for March 13.

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has fixed March 13 to hear activist Badrul Hisham Shaharin’s appeal to obtain a witness statement for his sedition case defence.

Badrul Hisham, known as Chegubard, is seeking the statement of Bloomberg journalist S. Ram Anand for his case related to alleged seditious remarks about a casino project in Johor’s Forest City.

A three-judge panel led by Datuk Azman Abdullah instructed his lawyer to file written submissions two days before the hearing.

Lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali informed the court he had recently received the appeal record and would file the petition promptly.

The Johor Bahru High Court had set aside a Sessions Court order requiring the prosecution to disclose the statement recorded under the Criminal Procedure Code.

High Court judge Atan Mustaffa Yussof Ahmad ruled such statements are protected by legal privilege and cannot be disclosed.

He allowed the prosecution’s application for revision of the lower court’s order.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Siew Wee confirmed the prosecution is ready to proceed with the appeal on March 13.

Badrul Hisham’s sedition case at the Johor Bahru Sessions Court, now at the defence stage, will resume on April 6.

The political activist was charged in 2024 for allegedly making seditious remarks on his ‘Che GuBard’ Facebook page.

He is accused of publishing the remarks at Mutiara Villa, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, on April 26, 2024.

The charge under the Sedition Act 1948 carries a maximum fine of RM5,000 or up to three years’ imprisonment, or both.

 The Sun Malaysia