SHAH ALAM: Former Malacca chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik pleaded not guilty to publishing a seditious post alleging that Selangor Raja Muda Tengku Amir Shah is an apostate in his Facebook account.

Abdul Rahim, 65, who was present in the Sessions Court here yesterday, made the plea after the charge was read before judge Slamat Yahya.

He was alleged to have committed the offence via his Facebook account Rahim Tamby Chik in Jalan Permata 7/1, Section 7 here at about 8am on Sept 25.

Abdul Rahim was charged under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act and is liable to be fined up to RM5,000 or a maximum jail term of three years or both upon conviction.

He also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of using his Facebook account to make and send comments of a seditious nature with the intention to hurt the feelings of another person at the same place, time and date.

Under the alternative charge, framed under Section 233 (1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act, he could be fined under Section 233 (3) of the same Act with a maximum fine of RM50,000 or up to one year jail or both upon conviction.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar sought bail of RM10,000 to be imposed for both charges.

Counsel Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin, who represented Abdul Rahim, applied to the court to have his bail reduced to RM2,000.

Judge Slamat allowed bail at RM7,000 with one surety and fixed Nov 5 for a re-mention.

Besides Mohd Dusuki, the prosecution was also represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz while the defence team also comprised counsel Wan Azmir Wan Majid and Ahmad Al-Hady Abdul Razak.

— Bernama