KUALA LUMPUR - Lawyers for Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee overcame a preliminary objection put in by the prosecution at the 11th hour to oppose their application for bail for their clients.
The court, now in recess for 15 minutes, is due to resume and will hear two applications, namely for bail and then to have separate trials for the 3 charges slapped on the notorious bloggers who offended the Muslim community with an outrageous Ramadan greeting.
During this morning's hearing in the High Court, Chong Joo Tian, the lead defense counsel, told of how Alvin had been placed under isolated detention for a week by the prison authorities.
"This is vindictive and punitive. Even before he is tried, he is being punished," Chong told the court.
Alvin's mother, who was in court listened intently, nodding her head at this.
Alvin, 25, and Vivian, 24, were jointly charged under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act, subsection 5(1) of the Film Censorship Act 2002 (Act 620) and Section 298A(1) of the Penal Code. The clear "overkill" attracted anger from the non-Muslims and also drew ridicule from the international community as the duo had no previous record or brushes with the law and their action was not in anyway criminal.
Alvivi, as the duo are also known as, had posted on their Facebook page a photo of themselves eating bak kut teh (a herbal soup dish that is usually made with pork, but which can also be vegetarian or made with chicken or other meats) with the greeting Selamat Berbuka Puasa or Happy Breaking Fast.
They described their meal as “fragrant, delicious and appetising bak kut teh”, and also put at the corner of the photo a 'halal' or kosher logo.
MORE TO COME
Malaysia Chronicle
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