Former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has been charged with sedition over comments he made regarding the country’s former king, according to his lawyer.
The 77-year-old politician appeared in court in the northern town of Gua Musang, where he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The sedition charge stems from remarks Muhyiddin made during a speech ahead of recent by-elections, in which he questioned the 2022 decision of then-monarch Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah to appoint his political rival, Anwar Ibrahim, as Malaysia’s prime minister. The king’s decision followed a hotly contested election and was instrumental in forming a coalition government led by Anwar.
Malaysia operates as a constitutional monarchy, where the throne is uniquely rotated every five years among the rulers of nine states with deep-rooted Islamic royal traditions. While the role of the king is largely ceremonial, it holds significant respect in the Muslim-majority nation, and recent years have seen the monarch play a critical role in maintaining political stability.
Supporters of Muhyiddin, who now leads the opposition, expressed their approval outside the courthouse when they learned of his not-guilty plea, as reported by an AFP journalist on the scene.
The sedition charge, brought under Malaysia’s colonial-era Sedition Act, carries the potential for a fine and a prison sentence of up to three years for those convicted of undermining the monarchy. The case underscores the sensitive nature of comments related to the royal institution in Malaysia.
The Gua Musang court has scheduled Muhyiddin’s next hearing for November 4, where further proceedings will take place.