Malaysia charges ex-PM Muhyiddin with sedition over alleged remarks on royalty, lawyer says

Malaysia has charged opposition leader and former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin with sedition for allegedly insulting the country's former king, his lawyer said on Tuesday (August 27).

Takiyuddin Hassan, the lawyer representing Muhyiddin, argued that at the court, decisions cannot be based on assumptions.

“Evidence must be presented to convince the court that the event took place before a request can be made," Takiyuddin added.

Muhyiddin, who led Malaysia for 17 months between 2020 and 2021, was charged at a court in the northeastern state of Kelantan with sedition over remarks made in a political speech this month. He pleaded not guilty, Takiyuddin said.

Malaysia practices a unique form of monarchy, where the country's nine sultans take turns to be king every five years. The monarchy plays a largely ceremonial role and is held in deep respect. Negative remarks about royalty can be prosecuted under a colonial-era Sedition Act.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.