KUALA LUMPUR: Controversial cartoonist 'Zunar' was slapped with nine counts of sedition at the Sessions Court over his tweets on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy conviction on Feb 10.
Zunar whose his real name is Zulkiflee SM Anwarul Haque, 53, pleaded not guilty to tweeting seditious remarks on the Federal Court's decision to uphold the PKR de facto chief's five year jail sentence for sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan in 2008.
Zunar was charged with committing the offence through his tweethandle @zunarkartunis on his Twitter account around 3pm on Feb 10.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Nordin Ismail proposed RM45,000 bail for all charges and submitted for a joint trial for all nine cases.
Counsel Latheefa Koya, who represented Zunar, pleaded for the cases to be heard separately.
"The charges should be looked at separately to determine which statements are seditious and which ones are not," she said.
Counsel Datuk S. Ambiga who also acted for Zunar said the bail amount proposed was excessive and pleaded for a lower bail.
Zunar was charged under Section 4 (1) (c) of the Sedition Act 1948 which carries a maximum fine of RM5,000 or jail of up to three years or both, if convicted.
Judge Zainol Rashid Hussain allowed RM2,500 bail for each charge with one surety and fixed May 20 for mention.
It was reported that the popular cartoonist was arrested hours after his tweet, and spent the night at the Dang Wangi police lock-up.
DPP Lee Keng Fatt also prosecuted and counsel Melissa Sasidaran also acted for the accused.