The actions of Attorney General to charge PKR Vice President Surendran under sedition was viewed as a scare tactic targeted at Pakatan Rakyat de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s defence team.

According to Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo, the move was to exert pressure upon Surendren, who is on the defence team in Anwar’s sodomy 2 case.

“The AG is in essence taking action against Surendran for stating his views of a judgement of the Court of Appeal, which views may well form the basis of the defence submissions in a pending appeal to the Federal Court,” said the DAP lawyer.

Gobind added that the AG, who is the respondent in that appeal should instead use arguments raised by the defence team regarding the Judgement of the Court of Appeal.

Surendran had asked Najib  to drop the conspiracy and sodomy charges against Anwar Ibrahim. He also said that he held the Prime Minister personally responsible for his attempt to jail the opposition leader of Malaysia. This had lead to his arrest on August 18 for sedition. He was later freed on bail of RM 5,000.

Gobind Singh, who strongly condemned the charge, said that the Attorney General cannot and must not be allowed to exert any form of pressure nor intimidate Surendran or Anwar Ibrahim’s defence team in any way before the appeal especially by prosecuting them for expressing their views in the matter.

“That would be an utter abuse of process and could well amount to contempt of court,” explaining that if this sets a precedence, lawyers would be less willing to speak their minds and defend their clients for fear of being prosecuted.

“It is my view that any efforts on part of any quarter be it the AG or anyone else, to stifle such a guarantee, would also amount to a very serious violation of the constitution and strike against the very core values of our criminal justice system,” Gobind reminded the AG that all accused persons were constitutionally entitled to a fair trial.

“The AG is not beyond the law. No doubt, he has powers to institute prosecutions but these powers cannot and must not be exercised unlawfully,” he added.

Surendran was charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on 19 August for uttering “seditious statements” about the Sodomy 2 trial being a political conspiracy. If found guilty, he would face a three year jail sentence or a fine of RM 5,000 or both. -The Rocket