KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — Pro-Keadilan Sarawak chairman Iswardy Morni pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to a charge of issuing a statement on his Facebook page which was deemed seditious and allegedly insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Iswardy, 44, is alleged to have issued the statement via the "Iswardy Morni Official” Facebook page, which contained seditious words with a tendency to insult the King, at the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department here, at 3pm on May 29.

The charge was framed under Section 4 (1) (a) of the Sedition Act 1948 and is punishable under Section 4 (1) of the same Act which provides for a fine of up to RM5,000, or imprisonment for a maximum of three years, or both, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim prosecuted, while lawyer Nik Mohamed Ikhwan Nik Mahamud represented the accused.

Judge Mahyon Talib allowed Iswardy bail of RM5,000 in one surety with the additional condition that the accused be prohibited from making any comments that are seditious, can cause distress or public unrest on social media or any print and electronic medium.

The court then set August 2 for mention. — Bernama