The former MalaysianPrime Minister,MuhyiddinYassin, has been charged withseditionover a speech in which he questioned the integrity of the last king. Muhyiddin, who was in office from March 2020 to August 2021, has pleaded not guilty.Background of the chargesAccording to the Associated Press, he faces charges over remarks made during a by-election campaign inKelantanlast month.Malaysia's monarchy is rotated every five years among nineethnic Malay state rulersin a system that has been followed since the former British colony's independence in 1957. Largely ceremonial, the monarchy is deeply respected by the majority-Islamic nation.In his August 14 speech, Muhyiddin questioned why then-King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah didn't appoint him as prime minister after a hung Parliament in November 2022. Muhyiddin claimed he had the backing of a majority of lawmakers. Instead, Sultan Abdullah appointed Anwar Ibrahim, who had formed aunity governmentwith support from rival parties, as prime minister.Sultan Abdullah, from central Pahang state, ended his reign on January 30 this year and did not comment on the sedition charges. However, his son criticised Muhyiddin's remarks, calling them dangerous and divisive, with the potential to undermine the royal institution.Muhyiddin was questioned by police following complaints against him but denied insulting theroyalty. He asserted that his remarks were factual and maintained that he had submitted a sworn oath of support from 115 lawmakers in the 222-member parliament.Legal and political contextZaid Malek from Lawyers for Liberty, a human rights and law reform organisation, criticised the use of the colonial-era Sedition Act against Muhyiddin. Malek said, "The king is a constitutional monarch and not a feudal ruler. His exercise of his power can thus be debated, questioned or criticised. This is the very bedrock of our system of constitutional monarchy."The Sedition Act, introduced by the British in 1948, criminalises speech or actions with an undefined "seditious tendency," including promoting hatred against the government and monarchy or inciting racial discord. Malek noted, âQuestioning or criticising the exercise of constitutional power by the king wasn't seditious."Malek also pointed out that Anwar had backtracked on his promise to repeal the Sedition Act, which has been historically used to suppress dissenting voices.Muhyiddin, aged 77, could face up to three years in prison, a fine, or both if found guilty. He is also dealing with corruption and money laundering charges, which he claims are politically motivated.He is the second formerMalaysian leaderto be charged with crimes. Ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak, who lost a general election in 2018, began a 12-year prison term in 2022 and faces several ongoing graft trials.
