ATTORNEY-General Tommy Thomas has dropped criminal charges against blogger Syarul Ema Abu Samah, also known as Ratu Naga, for allegedly insulting former prime minister Najib Razak.

The prosecution today informed the Sepang sessions court that Thomas has accepted the representation letter by Syarul Ema Abu Samah sent on June 20, and that the charge against her is withdrawn.

The attorney-general arrived at his decision after “considering facts and testimonies relating to the case”, according to a letter to the defence sighted by The Malaysian Insight. The letter was sent by AG’s Chambers head of prosecution division, Othman Yusof.

The court today also ordered a discharge against Syarul Ema, 37, who works as a building consultant.

Syarul Ema was charged on February 18, 2016, under Section 233 (1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) for posting allegedly offensive comments through her Facebook against Najib and other lawmakers over the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).

The matter was fixed for trial several times over the years but was postponed as Syarul Ema had filed challenges and appeals on the constitutionality of Section 233, claiming that it infringed on her freedom of expression guaranteed under Article 10 of the federal constitution.

Lawyer Zaid Malek appeared for Syarul Ema today.

Deputy public prosecutor Nazrul Nizam appeared for prosecution while justice Saifulakmal Mohd Said presided over the case.

In April, the Court of Appeal denied Syarul Ema’s application for the Federal Court to determine the constitutionality of Section 233.

Under Section 233, which forbids improper use of network facilities or network service, a person can be fined up to RM50,000 or jailed up to a year or both. The person shall additionally be liable to a fine of RM1,000 for each day the offence is continued after conviction.

In her Facebook posting in October 2015, Syarul Ema blasted Najib for signing the TPPA, which critics say would not have been favourable to small businesses and workers here.

“You are truly a (profanity) if you sign the TPPA. You are an illegitimate child if you sign it (profanity)! You think you can get away with it! You are selling the country! What kind of a (profanity) are you? We Malaysians will curse your family for the next seven generations!” she posted.

In December the following year, Syarul Ema was pelted with eggs and splashed with paint by Umno supporters after she attempted to deliver bottles of water to the home of Red Shirts leader Jamal Yunos in Ampang.

She told reporters then she wanted to help supply bath water to Jamal after the Sungai Besar Umno division chief protested a water shortage at the Selangor state secretariat, donning a bathrobe. – July 25, 2018.