KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has filed a notice of appeal against the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court’s decision to acquit Badrul Hisham Shaharin, also known as Chegu Bard, of making a defamatory remark against His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia.
It said the appeal follows the Sessions Court ruling that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case.
“AGC refers to the decision of Sessions Court Judge Norma Ismail, which discharged and acquitted Badrul Hisham without requiring him to enter his defence under Section 499 of the Penal Code read with Section 500,” the AGC said in a statement today.
The appeal has been filed at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur to challenge the acquittal.
Badrul, 46, was accused of making a statement intended to harm the sovereign's reputation at the Office of the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Istana Negara, at 6pm on January 22, 2024.
He was charged on April 29, 2024, under Section 500 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
