JITRA State Assemblyman (ADUN), Haim Hilman Abdullah, pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate's Court in Seremban today to a charge of causing public concern regarding his statement on the public university admission system.
Haim Hilman, 53, who is also a Kedah Exco member, made the plea before Magistrate Nurul Saqinah Rosli after the charge was read out.
According to the charge, he intentionally caused fear or alarm to the public by claiming that public universities were selling spots to the wealthy and that tens of thousands of students had entered through “backdoor” routes.
The offence was allegedly committed on June 13, 2026, between 8 pm and 12 am at the Seremban PAS Headquarters.
He is charged with an offence punishable under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code [ACT 574]. Upon conviction, he is liable to imprisonment for up to two years or a fine or both.
Negeri Sembilan Director of Public Prosecutions, Ku Hayati Ku Harun, proposed a bail of RM10,000 with an additional condition of surrendering his passport to the court.
The accused, who was represented by six lawyers led by Mohd Fauzi Che Abu in his appeal, argued that the amount of bail offered by the prosecution was punitive and unreasonable, and also proposed a bail of RM5,000.
He also objected to the additional conditions requested by the prosecution, which asked the accused to surrender his passport.
He said that the action of taking Haim Hilman’s international travel documents would interfere with his duties and trust as an exco and assemblyman who often travels abroad for official Kedah state government business.
He said the accused also appeared in court for today's proceedings of his own free will to clear his name.
The court then set bail at RM5,000 with one surety without additional conditions, and the case was set for remention for the submission of documents on July 30.
Previously, Haim Hilman was charged with stating that public higher education institutions (IPTA) denied the rights of 30,000 eligible students due to non-transparent practices and the existence of 'back door' elements in a public talk at the Seremban PAS headquarters on June 13.
The Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) later announced in a statement that it viewed the allegations as serious, including that the institutions are selling places to certain groups. – June 25, 2026
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