KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court yesterday scheduled April 14 for the remention of the case against controversial bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee who face three charges of ridiculing Muslims during the Ramadan month.
Judge Murtazadi Amran set the date after Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Shaharudin Wan Ladin told the court that the decision for the couple’s appeal to drop the charges against them had been fixed for April 10 at the Court of Appeal.
“The couple filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal to drop the charges under Section 298A(1)(a) of the Penal Code after the High Court here dismissed it,” he said.
Earlier on, the court had allowed the application of the duo’s lawyer Adilah Kamarzaman to exempt her clients from being present in court for the remention on April 14.
On Nov 21 last year, the High Court had dismissed the application of Alvin whose real name is Tan Jye Yee, 25, and Vivian or Lee May Ling, 24, on the grounds that the charges were lawful and not in conflict with the Federal Constitution.
Tan and Lee are accused of uploading a picture of them eating ‘bak kut teh’, accompanied by a caption, ‘Selamat Berbuka Puasa with bak kut teh’ (fragrant, delicious and appetising) which was likely to stir interfaith conflict at a restaurant in Dang Wangi between July 11 and 12, 2013.
The couple are also jointly charged under the Incitement Act 1948 with publishing inciting content, namely the same picture and caption on their Facebook link https://www.facebook.com/alvivi.swingers at Kompleks Mutiara Jalan Ipoh, Batu 3 1/2 here.
The third charge under the Film Censorship Act 2002 involves the posting of pornographic pictures on http://alviviswingers.tumblr.com/, between July 6 and 7 at the same place. — Bernama