KUALA LUMPUR: Badrul Hisham Shaharin has been charged in the Sessions Court with two counts of inciting hatred and issuing defamatory remarks that would tarnish the good name of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.
The Bersatu information committee member, better known as Chegubard, pleaded not guilty after the two charges were read to him before judge Siti Aminah Ghazali.
According to the first charge, Badrul Hisham, 45, is alleged to have made seditious remarks on his Facebook page at Taman Bukit Cheras here at 12.15pm on April 6.
The charge is framed under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948 and punishable under the same law, which provides a maximum fine of RM5,000 or imprisonment not exceeding three years or both if convicted.
Badrul Hisham is also alleged to have made defamatory remarks in which he had reason to believe that the statements would tarnish the good name of the King, reported Bernama.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Office of the Comptroller of Royal Household, Istana Negara, at 6pm, on Jan 22.
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The charge is framed under Section 500 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment or a fine or both, upon conviction.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Syed Faisal Syed Amir offered bail at RM20,000 with one surety for each charge as the offence committed involved the King.
“The prosecution is also requesting a gag order so that both parties do not issue any comments or public statements on any social media platform until the disposal of the case.
“This is necessary to ensure that the course of the case is not interrupted, in addition to maintaining public order and avoiding provocative comments that will worsen the situation,” he said.
Lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, who represented the accused, appealed for a lower bail on the grounds that his client has to support a wife and four children.
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He also said that the RM20,000 bail offered by the prosecution is relatively high compared with the punishment provided under the Sedition Act (RM5,000).
“We also object to the gag order because it is unconstitutional as the people need to be given freedom of speech. The prosecution also does not specify the gag order,” said the lawyer.
The judge allowed bail at RM10,000 with one surety for each charge and rejected the gag order, while also setting May 27 for mention of the case.
Meanwhile, during a press conference in the court lobby after the proceedings, Badrul Hisham said he will also be charged at the Johor Baru Sessions Court today under the Sedition Act 1948 over his Facebook post regarding the purported opening of a casino in Forest City in Johor.
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