Woman who dropped balloons at event attended by Najib walks free

KUALA LUMPUR: Three years after being charged with "behaving in an insulting manner" at an event attended by former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak and his wife, a Malaysian dance teacher walked away a free woman on Wednesday (Aug 15).

Bilqis Hijjas had dropped seven yellow balloons with the words "democracy", "free media" and "justice" written on them from the fifth floor of the Pavilion shopping mall during the opening of DiverseCity 2015 Kuala Lumpur International Arts Festival event on Aug 31, 2015.

She was charged on Sep 23 that year, then acquitted on Jul 1, 2016 after a Magistrates' Court judge ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove a case against her.

Over the past two years, the prosecution appealed, twice, against her acquittal but on Wednesday it announced that it was dropping the case.

"Today’s proceeding is supposed to hear the appeal by the prosecution, but there is a new development, where the appellant does not intend to proceed with the appeal," deputy public prosecutor Hafiza Rajuni said in the High Court on Wednesday. 

“Therefore, I request to withdraw the appeal."

Bilqis, the daughter of well-known Malaysian architect Hijjas Kasturi, told reporters outside the courtroom that she was relieved with the prosecution's decision.

"I am extremely happy to be free in this Merdeka month and I'm hoping for the same for people who have similar charges levelled against them," she was quoted as saying by The Star.

The High Court allowed the prosecution's first appeal against her acquittal on Oct 3, 2016, ruling that the judge who heard the case had erred in his findings, and ordered for Bilqis to enter her defence. 

Bilqis was acquitted once again on Nov 27 last year, but the prosecution appealed against the decision a few days later.

Then in July this year, Bilqis' lawyer, Eric Paulsen, sent a request to the Attorney-General to ask the prosecution to discontinue its appeal, the Malay Mail reported.