KUALA LUMPUR: A e-hailing driver claimed trial after pleading not guilty to eight charges of insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah via Twitter since March 23.
The accused, Sufazrin Amin Ismail, 26 was charged at the Magistrates Court here with making the postings under the Twitter account of Fazrin Ismail between March 23 and March 25.
Sufazrin from Machang, Kelantan, asked to be tried after the charge was read to him by an interpreter before Justice Emelia Kaswati Mohamad Khalid, here, today.
According to the charge sheet, Sufazrin was accused of making a Twitter post which was deemed to be distasteful via a communication service with the intent of victimising others through the postings.
The postings were viewed by the Cyber Crime and Multimedia Investigation Department of the Federal Commercial Crime Investigations Department on March 28.
The accused was charged with committing the offence between 9.58am and 10.29pm between March 23 and 25 using the Twitter account @Fazr_Ismail.
Sufazrin was charged with committing an offence under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 which provides for a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or imprisonment of not more than one year or both and a further fine of RM1,000 for each day of the offence continued to be committed after being charged.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Shahrizzat prosecuted, while the accused was un-represented.
The court set bail at RM2,000 for each charge provided that the accused does not make other social platform postings.
The court set May 12 for mention of the case, submission of documents and appointment of counsel.