JOHOR BARU, June 30 — A businessman pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to a charge with improper use of the network facilities by initiating the transmission of offensive communication against the Sultan of Kelantan Sultan Muhammad V.

Md Haniff Md Yunos, 41, made the plea after the charge was read out to him before judge V. Mabel Sheela.

The businessman was charged with knowingly making and initiating the transmission of communuications that was offensive in character against the Kelantan Sultan with intent to annoy others on his Facebook, with the profile name Haniff Md Haniff Yunos, at 1.13pm on December 14, 2019.

The charge, framed under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, provides a fine not exceeding RM50,000, or imprisonment for up to a year, or both, if found guilty, and shall also be liable to a further fine of RM1,000 for every day during which the offence is continued after conviction.

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Md Haniff, unrepresented, was allowed bail of RM7,000 in one surety and also ordered to report himself at the nearest police station every month.

The court set July 29 for mention. — Bernama