Jitra state assemblyman Haim Hilman Abdullah pleaded not guilty at the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday to a charge of allegedly causing public alarm over his remarks claiming that public universities were selling seats to certain groups.
Haim Hilman, 53, who also serves as Kedah Exco for Industry and Investment, Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, entered his plea before Magistrate Nurul Saqinah Rosli after the charge was read out.
According to the charge, the accused allegedly made statements that could cause public concern and potentially lead to actions disturbing public peace.
Among the statements cited were claims suggesting that public university places were being unfairly allocated through a “backdoor” system and that wealthy families were able to bypass merit-based selection.
The remarks were allegedly made on June 13, 2026, between 8pm and midnight at an event held at PAS premises in Seremban.
The prosecution argued that the statements could trigger public unrest and fall under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ku Hayati Ku Harun proposed bail of RM10,000 with an additional condition requiring the accused to surrender his passport.
However, the defence, led by lawyer Mohd Fauzi Che Abu, objected to the prosecution’s request, arguing that the bail amount was excessive and punitive in nature.
The defence also argued against surrendering the passport, saying it would interfere with Haim Hilman’s duties as an Exco member who frequently travels for official state matters.
The court ultimately allowed bail at RM5,000 with one surety and no additional conditions.
The case has been fixed for mention and document submission on July 30 at 9am.
Earlier, the remarks made by Haim Hilman reportedly suggested that public universities were denying admission rights to thousands of qualified students, a claim that drew criticism from the Higher Education Ministry, which said such allegations could damage the credibility of the national education system.
