SUPPORTERS of Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh began gathering at the Bukit Mertajam magistrate's court from as early as 7.20am amid a strong police presence.
In a latest update, Akmal arrived at 8.18am and thanked supporters before walking into the court. He also prayed with his supporters upon arrival.
Akmal is expected to be charged under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for causing fear or alarm to the public, and to induce them to commit an offence against public order.
If convicted, a person can be punished with a prison term up to two years, a fine, or both.
Last Thursday, Akmal led more than 300 Umno, Bersatu and Pas supporters on a 1.4km march carrying the Jalur Gemilang in a show of respect for the national flag.
The gathering followed a recent controversy involving an upside-down Jalur Gemilang displayed at a hardware store in Kepala Batas.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) also confirmed that Bersatu Youth chief Hilman Idham would be charged under the same section over remarks he made in a video posted on the TikTok account "alfah.channel.tv”.
Two others are also expected to be charged - Siti Hajar Aflah Sharuddin over a statement on the "SHA_Abrienda" TikTok account and Chandrasegaran Subramaniam over a statement made on TikTok under the "cikguchandra3" account.
Chandrasegaran would be charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1988.
The AGC added that the statements made by these individuals were found to have threatened public order or constituted improper use of network facilities or network services. – August 22, 2025
