THE Attorney-General’s Chambers today withdrew its appeal against a Sessions Court ruling earlier this year to acquit former minister Zaid Ibrahim, who was charged with making offensive statements against former prime minister Najib Razak in 2015.

Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali allowed the prosecution to withdraw the appeal following an application by DPP Jamil Aripin this morning. Counsel M. Puravalen appeared for Zaid.

On January 11, the Sessions Court acquitted Zaid of the charge of making offensive statements against Najib on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd issue in his blog in 2015.

He was charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

“It’s a wise decision on the part of the attorney-general because we have wasted so much time and resources prosecuting citizens who were merely criticising (their) leaders,” Zaid told The Malaysian Insight outside the court today.

“I think Section 233 should never be used to intimidate Malaysians who want to comment on their leaders.

“And I feel leaders who feel insulted with the slightest of comments shouldn’t be leaders. They should be in a monastery or be a farmer somewhere.”

Zaid also said the Sessions Court judge who had acquitted him was “transferred out”.

“I don’t know who is responsible but I want it to be looked at because I’m concerned about the timing of the transfer.

“It looks onerous to me. It’s not right that judges be penalised for their decisions, especially if it’s the right decision.”

Sessions Court judge Zaman Mohd Noor acquitted the former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department after finding that the prosecution had failed to prove a case against him.

In the trial in which 10 prosecution witnesses testified, prosecutors accused Zaid of insinuating that Najib was a “dangerous person” under Section 233(1)(a). Najib, however, did not appear as a witness.

 In his post, Zaid said Najib was obstructing investigations into 1MDB and called on Malaysians to support Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s efforts to remove the prime minister from office.

Zaid is a former law minister with the Barisan Nasional government who joined PKR in 2009 and DAP last year. – August 2, 2018.