PETALING JAYA, Nov 13 — Universiti Malaya (UM) graduate Wong Yan Ke has claimed trial at the Magistrate’s Court today to a charge of alleged disobedience to an order issued by a civil servant during a police raid at a house in Petaling Jaya last week.

He is accused of committing the offence at Jalan 17/48, Petaling Jaya, Selangor at 3.30pm on November 7.

According to the charge, he is accused of disobeying an order promulgated by police officer Assistant Superintendent Lee Robert to cease his Facebook Live recording during an ongoing police raid at the time of the incident.

The charge, under Section 188 of the Penal Code, carries a penalty of a maximum of one month’s jail, or a fine of up to RM400, or both.

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Wong, 24, pleaded not guilty to the charge when read by a court interpreter.

Subsequent to Wong’s not guilty plea, Deputy Public Prosecutor Anifah Hazimah Wahab then offered bail at RM7,000.

University of Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) ex-president Wong Yan Ke (left) and his lawyers arrive at the Petaling Jaya magistrate court November 13, 2020.
University of Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) ex-president Wong Yan Ke (left) and his lawyers arrive at the Petaling Jaya magistrate court November 13, 2020.

Lawyer Rajsurian Pillai, who represented Wong, then argued for the court to impose a lower bail as there was nothing to suggest his client would abscond or was a flight risk, before further arguing that bails are meant to secure an accused’s attendance.

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He also argued his client was a fresh graduate currently under the employment of Klang MP Charles Santiago and had rendered his full cooperation to the authorities throughout the investigation process.

Magistrate Nurshahira Abdul Salim then set bail at RM1,000 with one surety with no additional condition.

She then fixed the case for mention on February 4, 2021.

On November 7, Wong was arrested while he was filming and broadcasting a raid in connection with an investigation involving the University of Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) over a controversial statement on the role of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The probe, under the Sedition Act, was in relation to Umany’s published article on its Facebook page titled “Yang di-Pertuan Agong should not intervene in national affairs”.

Following that, Umany withdrew the Facebook post deemed critical of the Agong and issued an apology yesterday. 

The group also reiterated that the post was for the purposes of academic discussion and that no malicious damage or sedition was ever intended.