MUDA secretary-general Amir Hariri Abd Hadi was today charged in the Magistrate’s Court in Kuala Lumpur in connection with a protest over the littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal in the city.

Amir, 31, pleaded not guilty to the charge before Magistrate Fardiana Haryanti Ahmad Razali.

Amir was charged as the organiser of the gathering with failing to inform the Dangi Wangi police chief five days before holding the assembly, which was in front of the Sogo Complex on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman at 2pm on August 14 this year.

The charge was framed under section 9 (1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, with the offence punishable with a maximum fine of RM10,000 under section 9 (5) of the same act, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Radzi Shah Ab Razak offered bail at RM10,000, while DPP Fatin Hanum Abdul Hadi proposed that the accused surrender his passport to the court and refrain from making any comment on the case in social media.

Lawyer Beatrice Chin, representing Amir, asked for bail to be set at RM500 to RM1,000 as her client was not working, did not have any previous convictions and had co-operated with police in their investigation.

Another lawyer for Amir, Raj Surian Pillai, objected to the proposal for his client to surrender his passport, saying he was not a flight risk.

The court granted bail of RM4,000 in one surety and fixed November 3 this year for mention. – Bernama, August 26, 2022.