Muhyiddin pleads not guilty to sedition charge

PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister and Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has been charged with sedition at the Gua Musang Sessions Court in Kelantan on Tuesday (Aug 27).

The Bersatu president claimed trial after the charges were read out to him before Judge Nik Mohd Tarmizie Nik Mohd Shukri.

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Muhyiddin was accused of touching on 3R (race, religion and royalty) issues while campaigning in the Nenggiri state by-election recently where he allegedly made seditious remarks concerning the process of the appointment of the prime minister in 2022.

The charge was framed under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act, which provides a fine of not more than RM5,000 or a maximum of three years in jail or both, if convicted.

Muhyiddin was investigated by the police after reports were lodged against him over a viral video taken during the Nenggiri by-election campaign period.

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In the video, Muhyiddin during a ceramah at Felda Perasu on Aug 15 seemingly questioned the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decision to appoint Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the prime minister after the 15th General Election.

The video has since drawn severe condemnation from various parties and at least 29 police reports were lodged against Muhyiddin.

Muhyiddin has defended his remarks, saying it was just a statement of fact and he had no intention of insulting the royal institution of Malay Rulers.

He stated that his campaign speech was focused on factual events related to the formation of the government after GE15 and the subsequent challenges faced by the public due to government policies.