KUALA LUMPUR: Controversial cartoonist Zunar pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here yesterday to nine counts of sedition over remarks on his Twitter account.
The tweets were over the Federal Court’s ruling on Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s appeal on his conviction for sodomising his aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, last Feb 10.
Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee SM Anwarul Haque, 53, made the plea before judge Zanol Rashid Hussain.
The charges against Zunar were for allegedly making seditious remarks on a social website, with his Twitter handle@zunarkartunis, at the Classified Criminal Investigation Unit office, Bukit Aman, at 3 pm last Feb 10.
The charge, under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act, provides a maximum fine of RM5,000
or three years’ jail or both, for the first offence, and imprisonment for up to five years for the subsequent offence.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Nordin Ismail, who prosecuted, requested for all the charges be tried together, and offered bail at RM2,500 in one surety for each charge.
Judge Zanol allowed the request by the prosecution and set May 20 for mention.
Zunar was represented by lawyer Latheefa Koya, who is assisted by lawyer Datuk S Ambiga. — Bernama