Penang court revokes summons on ex-assemblyman

GEORGE TOWN: The Magistrate's Court today ruled that a parking compound issued by the then Penang Island Municipal Council to a former assemblyman three years ago is invalid in a judgment which may be cheered by those issued with such summonses.
Magistrate Mohamad Amin Shahul Hamid said the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against former Batu Uban assemblyman VS Raveentharan.
He said the defendant was not informed of what were his alleged offences and was also not allowed to make a representation when the compound was issued.
"The court frees him without the need for him to enter his defence," he said before discharging and acquitting the lawyer and added the grounds will be in a written judgment.
Raveentharan was summoned for allegedly parking his car illegally at Jalan Tun Syed Barakbah on March 11, 2014 at 10.30am.
He claimed trial on Sept 15 last year when he was charged for the offence under the Road Transport Act 1987 and the Road Transport Order (Car Parks) MPPP 2014 where the penalty is a maximum RM1,000 fine.
Raveentharan was defended by Datuk Baljit Singh while the now Penang Island City Council was represented by Noorazrein Norazlan Ong
Outside the court, Baljit said the ruling would affect thousands of motorists in Penang who have been issued summonses for similar offences.
He said those who have been summoned by the Council have the same ground of defence as it involves the same technical errors.
In a separate function, Penang Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said he will ask the Council to study the judgment and to file an appeal if necessary.
"If there is a technical inadequacy on the side of the Council when serving the summon, it has to be rectified so that summonses issued are valid and effective," he said when asked about the matter.