PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli has been called to enter his defence by the sessions court in Petaling Jaya today on a charge of intentional insult of Umno members.

Judge Azwarinda Affandi set August 20 for Rafizi to testify to defend the case against him.

A prima facie case, as such, had been made on him since the prosecution has successfully made a case against the PKR secretary-general.

The judge had earlier asked whether Rafizi would like to enter his defence today or otherwise, but the Pandan MP, who was represented by Lawyers for Liberty's Eric Paulsen, decided to do it on another date.

The PKR leader is charged under Section 504 of the Penal Code,with making a provocative statement to Selangor Umno members by intentionally insulting them with intent to disrupt the peace.

The charge is based on Rafizi’s comments that Selangor Umno could have been responsible for the throwing of a Molotov cocktail at a church in the run-up to the Kajang by-election ( photo ) last year.

Not surprised

The comments were reported by news portal,   FZ.com  on Feb 4, 2014 and published by  The Edge Financial Daily the next day. If found guilty, he will face a two-year jail sentence, a fine of RM4,000 or both.

Meanwhile, met by reporters later, Rafizi said he was not surprised by the court's decision today as he had expected it. "Cases brought against individuals like myself are all political in nature.

"That's why I am not surprised (for my defence to be called) even though it's an ordinary case," he said. Rafizi also believes that the case will go through a long court process.

"It will go all the way. In normal circumstances the defence just would not hgave been called  but I think in all my cases, I should expect to be defending myself in court," he said.