SHAH ALAM: "My client is a Menteri Besar, not a terrorist."
That was the argument of Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor's defence counsel, Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud who had repeatedly requested the prosecution to furnish the list of witnesses who will testify in his client's sedition trial.
During proceedings before High Court judge Datuk Aslam Zainuddin today, Awang Armadajaya had raised the issue of the prosecution not furnishing the list seven days after the previous proceedings, despite being promised.
Awang Armadajaya had again stressed the importance of the list to ensure that Sanusi, 50, does not come in contact with any of the potential witnesses in his capacity as the menteri besar.
"This is not a terrorism case. My client is not a terrorist and would not pose danger to anyone.
"My client is a menteri besar. The issue of posing danger to a witness in terms of safety does not arise at all.
"If you want to equate him to terrorists or a criminal, that is not right.
"The main aim is so that we do not breach the principles of law and that the defence do not meet with prosecution witness, even inadvertently.
"However, if this arises in the future, I will highlight that I have repeatedly raised this matter and my client cannot be blamed for this," he said.
Awang Armadajaya had applied for the prosecution to furnish the list soon and the witness statements by June 15.
However, deputy public prosecutor Datuk Masri Mohd Daud maintained the prosecution's stance that the documents will be handed over to the defence at least 14 days before the commencement of the trial on July 22.
Earlier, Masri told the court that the Attorney-General's Chambers had rejected Sanusi's representation letter to drop his two sedition charges of uttering seditious remarks against the Sultan of Selangor and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong last year.
The dismissal of the representation letter sees the Jeneri assemblyman going to trial and the court set 10-days commencing on July 22, 23, 29, 30 and Aug 5, 6, 9, 12, 13 and 23.
