KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — A single mother was charged in the Sessions Court here today on two counts of making offensive remarks and insulting comments against Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah in the MalaysiaFlipFlop blog.

However, Lai Yuet Ming, 64, pleaded not guilty to the charges read before Judge M.M. Edwin Paramjothy.

On the first count, she was charged with consciously making and initiating offensive and malicious communications against the prime minister with intent to annoy others through the ‘MalaysiaFlipFlop’ blog on March 23.

The offence committed under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998,  carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or a maximum jail term of one year or both and a further fine of RM1,000 for each day the offence is continued, upon conviction.

On the second count, she was charged with consciously making statements against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the blog on March 21 with the intention of causing fear or panic to the public, under Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail sentence of two years, a fine or both, if convicted.

Both the postings were read at the Cyber Crime and Multimedia Investigation Division, Commercial Crime Investigation Department, Bukit Aman Police Headquarters at 1.40pm on May 6, and 10pm on March 21.

At the same court, businessman Md Haniff Md Yunos, 40, claimed trial to the charge of posting offensive comments against the Sultan of Kelantan Sultan Muhammad V.

Md Haniff was charged under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for knowingly making and initiating offensive and malicious communications against the Sultan of Kelantan with the intent to harass other people on his Facebook profile, "Ayahanda Tunggak Md Haniff” at 10.30pm on April 13.

The Facebook posting was read at the Cyber Crime and Multimedia Investigation Division office at 7pm on April 14.

Deputy public prosecutor Annur Atiqah Abd Hadi, who is handling both cases, proposed bail at RM10,000 with one surety each for the two persons, with an additional condition that both of them cannot upload any offensive posts on social media or make any remarks related to their trials.

Counsel L. Hamsagayathiri, who represented Lai requested for a lower bail on the grounds that his client was a single mother of five children and that she had health problems.

While, Md Haniff, who was unrepresented, pleaded for minimum bail as his income was affected due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

"I run a security company and since the Covid-19 pandemic, my source of income has been affected so that my wife had to sell her gold jewellery to support the family,” he said.

The court set bail for Lai and Md Haniff at RM4,000 and RM3,000 with one surety respectively and set July 24 for mention. — Bernama