Malaysia charges former PM Muhyiddin Yassin with sedition over remarks about former King

By Sunita Iyer | First Published Aug 27, 2024, 10:01 AM IST

Malaysia has charged former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin with sedition for allegedly insulting the country's former king, according to his lawyer on Tuesday.

Malaysia has charged former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin with sedition for allegedly insulting the country's former king, according to his lawyer on Tuesday. Muhyiddin, who served as Malaysia's leader from 2020 to 2021, was accused in a court in Kelantan, a northeastern state, due to comments made during a recent political speech. He has pleaded not guilty.

Malaysia's monarchy operates under a distinctive system where the country's nine sultans rotate as king every five years. This monarchy, while largely ceremonial, is deeply respected. Negative comments about royalty can be prosecuted under the Sedition Act, a colonial-era law.

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On August 15, Muhyiddin Yassin allegedly questioned the credibility of former King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah in a political speech, following the 2022 general election, which ended in a hung parliament, according to local media reports.

In his speech, Muhyiddin reportedly claimed that he had obtained enough support from lawmakers to form a government after the election. He questioned why former King Al-Sultan Abdullah had not invited him to be sworn in as prime minister. Al-Sultan Abdullah had appointed Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister in November 2022, and his five-year reign as king concluded in January.

Al-Sultan Abdullah has not publicly addressed Muhyiddin's reported remarks, and his office could not be reached for comment. Muhyiddin, leader of Malaysia's conservative, Malay-centric opposition bloc, faces a potential prison sentence of up to three years and a fine of up to 5,000 ringgit ($1,148) if convicted, according to his lawyer. In a separate case filed last year, he is also facing allegations of corruption and money laundering, which he claims are politically motivated.

Anwar's government has denied accusations of targeting political rivals, asserting that the charges are part of a broader effort to address high-level corruption.

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