KUALA LUMPUR: An activist, Iswardy Morni, was found guilty by the Sessions Court for posting inflammatory and disrespectful statements about the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Facebook three years ago. The ruling was made by Judge Datuk M.M. Edwin Paramjothy, who determined that the defense did not raise a reasonable doubt regarding the charges against Morni.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the court scheduled January 23 of the following year for mitigation submissions from both the prosecution and defense before sentencing Iswardy Morni. During the proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Iznina Hanim Hashim represented the prosecution, while Faizal Rahman served as the defense attorney for Iswardy.

The court had previously ordered Iswardy to present his defense on October 4 after the prosecution successfully established a prima facie case against him. The trial commenced on January 3, 2022, featuring testimonies from nine prosecution witnesses, with Iswardy as the sole witness for the defense.

Iswardy Morni faced charges for allegedly posting an inciting statement on his Facebook page, “Iswardy Morni Official.” The post, made at the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department on May 29, 2021, reportedly contained words that could potentially insult the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. He was charged under Section 4 (1) (a) of the Sedition Act 1948, which stipulates penalties including a fine of up to RM5,000, a maximum three-year prison sentence, or both, upon conviction.