KUALA LUMPUR: The prosecution believes that blogger Alvin Tan, whose real name is Tan Jye Yee, who is currently overseas, will return to Malaysia to face all charges made against him over his controversial postings on the social media.
Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin said although the warrant of arrest issued on Alvin had yet to be served as he failed to be present at the court, the prosecution believed that the blogger would not leave his ex-girlfriend who was jointly charged for the offences, to face the charges alone.
“If he (Alvin) was brave enough to comment on the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and the courts from overseas, he surely will not leave his ex-girlfriend Vivian Lee to face their case alone,” Wan Shaharuddin said during the remention of the case at the Sessions Court here yesterday.
He was referring to Alvin’s Facebook postings which were alleged to have insulted the nation’s leader and in which he admitted that he was not afraid of the Sedition Act.
The blogger also claimed to have fled to the United States to seek political asylum.
Judge Abdul Rashid Daud then set Nov 28 for mention of the warrant of arrest and ordered Vivian to be present during the proceedings.
Vivian, whose real name is Lee May Ling, was not present at yesterday’s proceeding on court’s approval.
Meanwhile, Wan Shaharuddin said the case management on the notice of appeal on the dismissal of one of the three charges faced by the duo under Section 298A (1)(a) of the Penal Code had been scheduled for Oct 28 at the Federal Court.
On Aug 22, the court revoked Alvin’s RM20,000 bail after he failed to return his passport after the duo were granted a temporary release to shoot a documentary in Singapore. Only Vivian returned her passport.
According to the charge sheets, Alvin, 26, and Vivian, 25, were alleged to have uploaded a seditious posting on ‘Alvin and Vivian-Alvivi’ Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/alvivi.swingers.
The posting uploaded between July 11 and 12 last year comprised a picture of them having a meal with a caption of ‘Selamat Berbuka Puasa (dengan Bak Kut Teh…wangi, enak, menyelerakan !!!)’ which also displayed a halal logo.
The duo who were represented by lawyer Nur Adilah Kamar Zaman also faced a charge under Film Censorship Act for uploading their erotic pictures at https://alviviswingers.tumblr.com/ between July 6 and 7 last year.
They were alleged to have committed the offences at Kompleks Mutiara Jalan Ipoh, Batu 3 1/2 here. — Bernama