KUCHING, June 1: PKR Sarawak member Iswardy Morni has been charged at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur today for alledgedly insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah on his Facebook page recently.
According to a national daily news report, Iswardy pleaded not guilty after the charge was read before Sessions Court judge Mahyon Talib.
The Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak member was accused of issuing seditious remarks in a statement he posted on his Facebook page “Iswardy Morni Official” which allegedly insulted the King.
His post was also viewed by the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department on May 29.
Iswardy was charged under Section 4(1)(a) of the Sedition Act 1948 and faces a maximum fine of RM5,000 or imprisonment of up to three years or both upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim offered a bail at RM20,000 but Iswardy’s lawyer Nik Mohamed Ikhwan Nik Mahmud requested for a lower bail amount on grounds that the accused has a family to care for.
He said his client has provided full cooperation during the investigation.
Hence, the court allowed the accused RM5,000 bail with one surety. The case is set for mention on Aug 2.
On May 30, it was reported that Iswardy was arrested at his residence in Kajang at around 11pm following a ‘live’ video entitled “Total lockdown: Apa Yang Kerajaan Gagal Belajar Dalam Setahun ini” that was circulated on social media.
Following the live segment, PKR Communications director Fahmi Fadzil had in a statement clarified that Iswardy is a normal party member attached with the Petra Jaya branch and does not hold any leadership position at both the State and Federal level. — DayakDaily
