Charges of treason against the former Prime Minister of Malaysia

Malaysia's former prime minister and current opposition leader Muhyiddin Yassin has been charged with sedition. He was accused of making comments about the country's former king. Reuters and AFP reported this information in a separate report on Tuesday (August 27) citing Muhuddin Yassin's lawyer.

The former Malaysian prime minister's lawyer told reporters outside the court in the northern Malaysian city of Gua Musang that the 77-year-old politician is not guilty.

Allegations were raised that Muhyiddin had made seditious remarks before the by-elections this month. In that speech, he questioned the king's 2022 decision to appoint his rival as prime minister after a highly contested vote. His comments are considered as an insult to Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmed Shah. He served as the King of Malaysia from 2019 to January this year.

It should be noted that after the election of 2022, Anwar Ibrahim was able to form a coalition, so King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmed Shah appointed him as the Prime Minister.

In Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country, the position of king is deeply revered and is a symbolic title. But in recent years, the king has been playing an increasingly important role in bringing political stability to the country.

By law, undermining the king's dignity could be prosecuted under colonial-era treason laws. It carries a fine and imprisonment of up to three years on conviction.

The former prime minister's lawyer said that the Gua Musang court has fixed November 4 for Muhiuddin's next hearing. Muhyiddin Yassin was the prime minister of Malaysia for 17 months between 2020 and 2021.

Bangladesh /FM