SHAH ALAM, March 1 ― The Sessions Court here today set April 19 for mention of a case involving former Melaka Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik who has been charged with publishing a seditious post alleging that the Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah, is an apostate in his Facebook account.

Judge Slamat Yahya fixed the date after allowing an application by Abdul Rahim's lawyer, Ahmad Al-Hady Abdul Razak, for a new mention date.

Abdul Rahim, 65, was alleged to have committed the offence via his Facebook account Rahim Tamby Chik at Jalan Permata 7/1, Section 7 here at about 8am on September 25 last year.

He was charged under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act and is liable to be fined up to RM5,000 or a maximum jail term of three years or both, if convicted.

He had also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of using his Facebook account to make and send comments of a seditious nature with the intention to hurt the feelings of another person at the same place, time and date.

For this offence, he was charged under Section 233 (1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act, and is liable to be fined under Section 233 (3) of the same Act with a maximum fine of RM50,000 or up to one year jail or both, if convicted.

Ahmad Al-Hady, when met by reporters after the court proceeding, said they received a letter from the Attorney-General Chambers today to inform that their pplication for the charge against Abdul Rahim to be dropped was rejected.

Abdul Rahim had sent a letter of representation to the Attorney-General's Chambers on December 17 last year seeking for the charge against him to be dropped.

Hence, a new mention date is fixed for April 19, he added.         

The prosecution is led by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Nik Suhaimi Nik Sulaiman. ― Bernama