Political activist Chegubard pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to a sedition charge involving an allegedly provocative Facebook post related to a royal institution last month.
The accused, whose real name is Badrul Hisham Shaharin, 48, entered his plea before Judge Datin Surita Budin after the charge was read out to him.
According to the charge, Badrul is alleged to have published a seditious post via his Facebook account under the name Che GuBard at Istana Besar Seri Menanti, Kuala Pilah, at about 8.30pm on 26 May.
The content of the post reportedly included statements concerning the succession and status of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, which authorities claimed could be interpreted as seditious.
He is charged under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948, which carries a maximum penalty of a RM5,000 fine, up to three years’ imprisonment, or both upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Sazali Omar proposed bail of RM10,000 and also requested a gag order preventing the accused from making further statements related to the Negeri Sembilan royal institution.
However, defence counsel Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali argued that the proposed bail amount was excessive compared to the maximum fine under the charge, and requested it be reduced to RM5,000.
The defence also objected to the proposed restriction order, stating that previous appellate court decisions had not imposed similar conditions on the accused in other related cases.
The court ultimately set bail at RM5,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to report to the nearest police station once a month.
The court, however, did not grant the prosecution’s application for a gag order. It stated that any further breach could be addressed through a future written application by the prosecution.
