SHAH ALAM: Former Malacca Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik will know by March 1 his fate on the sedition charge over his Facebook posting which alleged that Selangor Raja Muda Tengku Amir Shah is an apostate.
Sessions Court judge Slamat Yahya fixed the date for decision of a representation letter submitted by the accused's counsel.
Wan Azmir Wan Majid, who appeared for Abdul Rahim, 66, said a letter of representation had been sent to the Attorney-General's chambers on Dec 17 for the charge to be withdrawn against his client.
"We are applying for the case to be dropped on grounds that the intention of the party was not seditious," he said.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Nik Suhaimi Nik Sulaiman said if the representation isn’t successful, a trial date will be fixed.
"We have just received the representation letter and we need to go through it before making a decision," he said.
On Oct 5 last year, Abdul Rahim was charged under Section 4 (1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948 .
He pleaded not guilty to committing the offence via his Facebook page Rahim Tamby Chik in Jalan Permata 7/1, Section 7 here at about 8am on Sept 25 last year.
He was also charged with an alternative count of using his Facebook account to make and send comments of a seditious nature with the intention to hurt the feelings of another person at the same place, time and date.
On Sept 30, 2015, the Selangor Royal Council had issued a statement strongly denying that Tengku Amir Shah had allegedly switched religions.
Abdul Rahim had on Sept 29 (the previous day) issued an open apology to Tengku Amir Shah through his Facebook and Twitter account.