Four SSKM activists discharged

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KOTA KINABALU: Four activists of the Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia (SSKM) movement, who were charged with pushing for the secession of Sabah from Malaysia last year, were granted a discharge, not amounting to an acquittal, by the Sessions Court here yesterday.

Judge Abu Bakar Manat made the decision on Azrie Situ, 25, Jemmy Liku Markus Situ, 33, Erick Jack William, 29, and Joseph Kolis, 30, when the case came up for trial yesterday.

They were charged under Section 4 (2) of the Sedition Act 1948, which carries a fine of up to RM2,000 or a maximum jail term of 18 months or both, and the offensive material is to be seized and destroyed, upon conviction.

The accused persons, who were caught at the weekly market in Tuaran on February 1, 2015, were alleged to have possessed seditious pamphlets urging Sabah and Sarawak to leave Malaysia.

Erick purportedly had 91 pieces of the publication, Joseph 13 pieces, Azrie five pieces and Jemmy one piece.

Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Gan Peng Kun applied for the discharged of the case following an instruction from headquarters.

The court also ordered bail of RM10,000 to be refunded to the accused persons.

Counsel Tengku Fuad Tengku Ahmad represented all the accused persons.