Charges of treason against the former Prime Minister of Malaysia

Last Updated on August 28, 2024 8:05 am

Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has been charged with sedition. He was charged on Tuesday over comments he made about the country’s former king. His lawyer said this. News from AFP

The 77-year-old politician is not guilty, his lawyer told reporters outside the court in the northern Malaysian city of Gua Musang.

Allegations were raised that Muhyiddin had made seditious remarks before the by-elections this month. In that speech, he questioned the king’s 2022 decision to appoint his rival as prime minister after a highly contested vote.

Such a comment was seen as an insult to Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmed Shah. He ruled from 2019 to January this year.

After the 2022 elections, Anwar Ibrahim was able to form a coalition, and the King appointed him as Prime Minister.

In the Muslim-majority country of Malaysia, the position of king is deeply revered and is a symbolic title. Undermining the king’s dignity could be prosecuted under colonial-era treason laws. It carries a fine and imprisonment of up to three years on conviction.

Mohiuddin’s lawyer said that the Gua Musang court has fixed Muhiuddin’s next hearing on November 4.