(Sept 18): A lawyers group today urged the Attorney-General (A-G) to withdraw all pending 27 sedition cases against opposition and activists following his decision not to pursue a similar charge against Malay Armed Forces Veterans Association president Mohd Ali Baharom.

Lawyers for Liberty legal and campaign coordinator Michelle Yesudas said it cautiously welcomed the move by the A-G to drop the charge against Ali or better known as "Ali Tinju".

"However, the A-G must be reminded there are 27 sedition cases pending in court while hundreds of opposition leaders, activists and dissidents have been hauled up and investigated in the past few years," she said in a statement.

Yesudas said the group viewed with extreme concern that Ali, a well-known and ardent government supporter had now been given special treatment by the A-G, just like how (Datuk) Ibrahim Ali escaped prosecution for his speech that called for Malay language Bibles to be burnt.

Yesterday Ali walked out a free man after the prosecution withdrew the charge against him for making inflammatory remarks outside Kuala Lumpur's Low Yat Plaza in July.

Deputy public prosecutor Suhaimi Ibrahim informed Sessions Court judge Azman Mustapha that he had obtained instructions to drop the case.

Suhaimi said it was dropped due to insufficient evidence following a letter of representation to AGC last month.

During the incident on July 16, Ali had allegedly said: "Okay, we want justice. This is the dignity of Malays, not because one Chinese boy attacked many Malays. This is Malay land. Unite, and attack the DAP Chinese who are rude."

Ali was among three people detained by the police under the Sedition Act in relation to the brawl.

The other two are blogger Wan Mohd Azri Wan Deris or Papagomo and Bagan Umno division chief Datuk Shaikh Hussein Mydin.

The drama at Low Yat Plaza unfolded on July 11 when two youths visited a handphone outlet to buy a Lenovo S860 smartphone worth RM799.

The salesman, who attended to them, told police that the youths ran off with the phone as he turned away to get a free gift.

Yesudas said the reason given for the withdrawal as reported in the press was quite incredible as it is public knowledge that Ali's speech was made before a large crowd and recorded by many people who were present including members of the press.

She said the speech can be easily viewed on various news websites and on YouTube.

Yesudas said it was well known that the prosecution was able to prove their cases in sedition charges due to the lower evidential threshold, especially if speeches were recorded.

“We wish to remind the A-G that all Malaysians are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law. It is his primary duty to ensure that this right is reflected in the administration of justice.”

She said the A-G, who is also the public prosecutor, represented the state and public interest, not just the government of the day.

"Needless to say, such double standards merely reinforce public perception that the A-G is not independent and acts at the behest of the government to prosecute the opposition and dissidents for political offences." – The Malaysian Insider