POLITICAL activist Badrul Hisham Shaharin, popularly known as Chegubard, was convicted by the Sessions Court in Johor Bahru on Friday for publishing a seditious social media post and was fined RM5,000.
Sessions Court Judge Rasidah Roslee handed down the sentence after ruling that the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt against the charge at the conclusion of the defence case.
The court also ordered that the 48-year-old serve 20 months' imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine.
According to the charge, Chegubard published a seditious post on social media at approximately 6.30pm on April 26, 2024, alleging links between the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and two alleged gambling tycoons in connection with a purported casino project in Forest City.
He was charged under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948, which provides for a fine of up to RM5,000, imprisonment of up to three years, or both upon conviction.
The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutors Mohd Sabri Othman and Raya Nursyuhada Husna Sulaiman. Lawyers' representative Cheong Wen Yie attended the proceedings as an observer on behalf of the Malaysian Bar.
In mitigation, defence counsel Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali urged the court not to impose a custodial sentence, stressing that his client was a first-time offender who had fully cooperated with the authorities throughout the two-year legal proceedings.
He also described Chegubard as a political activist and a member of Parti Wawasan Negara (WAWASAN), a component party of Perikatan Nasional (PN), who is expected to contest in the upcoming Negeri Sembilan state election.
"We respectfully ask the court to impose only a fine, preferably below RM2,000, to enable our client to contest the state election," he submitted.
However, in seeking a heavier sentence, Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Sabri argued that a fine alone would be insufficient given the nature of the offence.
"The accused was 46 years old when the offence was committed. He is a mature individual who understands the law, yet deliberately chose to publish seditious content.
"A fine alone is not adequate in this case," he told the court. - July 10, 2026
