Bilqis ordered to enter defence over balloon charge

KUALA LUMPUR: Dance producer Bilqis Hijjas (pic) has been ordered by the High Court here to enter her defence to a charge of behaving in an insulting manner in public.

Bilqis, the daughter of a prominent architect, had allegedly dropped balloons at an event attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur mall.

High Court judge Justice Mohd Sofian Abd Razak instructed Bilqis, 37, to enter her defence after the prosecution proved a prima facie case against her.

Justice Mohd Sofian ruled that magistrate Muhamad Faizal Ismail had erred in his findings when he acquitted Bilqis on July 1 last year.

He made the order after allowing the prosecution’s appeal against the acquittal yesterday.

Nabilah Ahmad Po’ad was the deputy public prosecutor while counsel Eric Paulsen acted for Bilqis.

Bilqis was accused of dropping the balloons from the fifth floor of the shopping mall in Bukit Bintang here at 3.15pm on Aug 31, 2015.

Najib and his wife were attending the DiverseCity 2015 Kuala Lumpur International Arts Festival on the ground floor of the mall.

The balloons had words “democracy”, “free media” and “justice” on them.

She was charged under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 for behaving in an insulting manner with the purpose of stirring anger which would likely cause a disturbance.

The offence carries a fine of not more than RM100 upon conviction.

Bilqis, 37, was charged at the magistrate’s court here on Sept 24, 2015, where she claimed trial to the charge.

Paulsen said they would call a witness.