OPPOSITION politician Chua Tian Chang has withdrawn his appeal to his prison sentence and fine for an offence related to a Bersih rally in 2012.

Better known as Tian Chua, the PKR vice-president today said he was willing to accept his sentence “under a repressive and corrupt system” to highlight the wrongs of the government.

Tian Chua was arrested after participating in the Bersih rally on April 28, 2012, and was sent to the Police Training Centre, or Pusat Latihan Polis (Pulapol).

He was then charged with trespassing a “protected area”, which was Pulapol, convicted by the Sessions Court in January 2014, and sentenced a month in jail and fined RM1,000.

“If the price for changing this repressive and corrupt system is to go to prison, I shall say I am more than ready to accept. 

“At the same time, I would like to emphasise that accepting my prison sentence is not an admission of wrongdoing. On the contrary, I intend to highlight the wrongs of this very government, and call on the people not to be intimidated and frightened by the instruments of oppression,” he said in a statement addressed to the Court of Appeal.

He had discharged his lawyers earlier today.

The Batu MP can still retain his status as an MP as his sentencing was a one-month jail term and a fine of RM1,000.

According to Article 48 of the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952, an MP is disqualified if convicted and sentenced by the court for a jail term of not less than one year or a fine of not less than RM2,000.

In his speech to the court, Tian Chua said democracy must be tolerant to disagreement, and that the government should not use law enforcement agencies to clamp down on dissenting political views.

“Laws are made to protect the wellbeing of citizens, and to grant the people freedom, equality and dignity.

“Unfortunately, these very laws have become instruments of repression, and have been used to intimidate and silence people under the dark shadow of fears.”

He stressed that he had not been charged with taking part in an illegal assembly, and that the charge and conviction of trespassing on a protected area was absurd.

“My lords, in my opinion, it is an absurdity to penalise me for being in the compound of Pulapol, in a situation where I was brought in by force and against my will,” he said in his address to the Court of Appeal. – September 29, 2017.