The Malaysian Bar today urged the Attorney-General’s Chambers to drop the charge against artist Bilqis Hijjas for allegedly dropping yellow balloons onto an event attended by the prime minister and his wife.
Bilqis pleaded not guilty for the charge under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955, for behaving in an insulting manner with intent to cause a breach of peace.
Malaysian Bar president Steven Thiru (photo) said there is “nothing insidious” about yellow balloons printed with the words ‘democracy’, ‘free media’ and ‘justice’.
Curtailing the use of these words in a peaceful manner is therefore a threat to the democratic exercise of and constitutional right to freedom of expression, he said.
“It is therefore impossible to fathom that anyone who genuinely subscribes to, or practises, these principles would find their peaceable expression to be insulting to the point of potentially causing anger and a breach of peace,” he said in a statement.
Bilqis today said that while she admits to have dropped the balloons on the event at a Kuala Lumpur shopping mall, she is pleading not guilty because she believes dropping balloons is not a crime.
She was released on bail of RM500, with her father and famed architect, Hijjas Kasturi acting as guarantor.
"I wish I can be as courageous as her,” he said.
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