[ad_1]
KUALA BESUT, Kelantan: 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 (Aug 27).
Muhyiddin, who served as Malaysia’s prime minister for 17 months between 2020 and 2021, was charged with sedition in a court in the northeastern state of Kelantan over remarks he made during a political speech this month. Muhyiddin has pleaded not not guilty, his lawyer said.
Malaysia has a unique monarchy, with nine sultans taking turns as king every five years. The monarchy plays a largely ceremonial role and is highly respected.
Under colonial-era sedition laws, people who speak negatively about the royal family can be prosecuted.
Muhyiddin allegedly questioned the credibility of former King Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Mustafa Billah Shah in a political speech on August 15 following Malaysia’s 2022 general election which resulted in a hung parliament.
In his speech, Muhyiddin said he had enough support from lawmakers to form a government after the general election, but questioned why the then king did not invite him to be sworn in as the country’s prime minister.
“I had the support of 115 MPs. If we follow the constitution, I would have had enough votes to become prime minister. I don’t want to bring it up but it’s a historical record,” he said.
“But I don’t know why the king did not invite me to the palace to take the oath of office at that time. Who was the king at that time? The King of Pahang,” he added, referring to Sultan Abdullah.
Sultan Abdullah appointed Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister in November 2022.
[ad_2]
Source link
