KANGAR: Freelance preacher Ustaz Ahmad Husam Muhamad Baderudin today claimed trial at the Sessions Court here on a charge of using an unrecognised datukship title.
The 34-year-old preacher from Kodiang, Kedah, made the plea when the charge was read to him before Judge Sharifah Norazlita Syed Salim Idid.
According to the charge sheet, Husam is accused of accepting an unrecognised title in May last year.
Husam was charged with committing the offence at about 11.30am on April 4 last year at the Commercial Crime Investigation Department, Perlis police headquarters here.
The charge was framed under Section 4A(3) of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use)(Amendment) 2016 (Enactment A21).
The charge carries a fine of up to RM500,000 or a jail term not more than five years, or both, if convicted.
Perlis prosecution director Muhamad Asyraf Md Kamal and Deputy Public Prosecutor Jodia Poh Yi Tying prosecuted, while lawyers Nur Iman Nor Azmi and Nur Amin Nor Azmi stood for the accused.
Muhamad Asyraf proposed the court impose RM50,000 bail on the accused but Nur İman objected as the amount was too high.
In mitigation, Nur İman said the accused is just a principal of an independent tahfiz school in Kedah, and married with one child, besides suffering from gout and asthma.
The court subsequently fixed bail at RM25,000 with one surety and set Oct 28 as mention.