DANCER Bilqis Hijjas, acquitted last year of insulting the prime minister after dropping yellow balloons at a 2015 event where he was present with his wife, has been ordered to enter her defence today.

Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Indera Mohd Sofian Abd Razak today reversed Bilqis’ acquittal and sent the case back to a lower court, reports the Malay Mail Online.

Bilqis, 38, was accused of dropping the balloons from the fifth floor at the Pavilion shopping mall in Bukit Bintang at 3.15pm on August 31, 2015, while Prime Minister Najib Razak and Rosmah Mansor were attending an arts event on the ground floor.

The balloons had “democracy”, “free media”, and “justice” printed on them.

The Kuala Lumpur magistrates’ court on July 1 last year said the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against Bilqis.

“The question is whether throwing balloons is insulting and may cause breach of peace. The court answers this proactively, where the court finds the act of throwing balloons is insulting and may cause breach of peace,” Indera was quoted as saying today.

He ruled that the magistrate had erred in acquitting Bilqis and allowed the government’s appeal against the acquittal.

Indera said “free media”, “democracy”, “justice” on the balloons were also used in materials during the Bersih 4 anti-government rally held on August 29 and August 30, 2015.

The magistrates’ court fixed October 16 for re-mention of the case. – October 3, 2017.