KUALA LUMPUR: A PKR member charged with insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on his Facebook page three years ago has been ordered by the Sessions Court to enter his defence.
Judge Edwin Paramjothy made the ruling after determining that the prosecution had successfully established a prima facie case against Iswardy Morni, 47.
Edwin set the defence proceedings for Nov 11.
The prosecution called nine witnesses during the trial which began after Iswardy was charged in June 2021.
Deputy public prosecutor Iznina Hanim Hashim handled the prosecution while Iswardy was represented by counsel Faizal Rahman.
The accused was granted bail but subject to a gag order imposed by the court which prohibits him from commenting about the case in public.
Iswardy was charged on June 1, 2021, with uttering seditious words in a statement that he posted on his Facebook page "Iswardy Morni Official" which tended to insult the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
He was charged under Section 4(1)(a) of the Sedition Act 1948 and faces a maximum fine of RM5,000 or a jail term of up to three years or both, if convicted of the offence.