A 61-YEAR-OLD man was brought before the Sessions Court in Johor Bharu on Friday to face charges of posting allegedly offensive comments about His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, on Facebook earlier this year.
Due to reported health and hearing difficulties, the charges were not formally read out to the accused in court.
Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman granted an application for the man to undergo psychiatric evaluation. The case has been fixed for mention on 15 August.
Prosecutors from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), deputy public prosecutor Fadhli Ab Wahab and prosecuting officer Mohamad Azmir Mohd Razali, appeared for the prosecution.
A warrant of arrest had been issued by the court on 20 June after the accused failed to appear for two prior hearings.
The man is charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which criminalises the use of network services to make or transmit communications that are deemed offensive or menacing. Upon conviction, the offence carries a penalty of up to RM50,000, one year’s imprisonment, or both, as stipulated under Section 233(3). - July 4, 2025
