Ahmad charged, then freed on bail

Ahmad Abd Jalil was charged in the Johor Baru magistrate’s court this afternoon and was then released on bail.

His lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri said that he has been charged under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act and is required to show up on court for mention on Nov 28.

“We will be raising preliminary objections against his charge but we are really thankful he is released now,” said Fadiah.

“We are challenging the charge because it is unfounded,” Fadiah, a lawyer with Suaram, told Malaysiakini.

Bernama reports that Ahmad(left) is facing two charges of insulting Sultan Ibrahim of Johor through social media Facebooklast month.

He is alleged on the first count to have uploaded insulting remarks aimed at the sultan of Johor in aFacebook account registered under ‘Zul Yahya’, at Dewan Tan Sri Mohamad Rahmat in Kampung Pasir, Tampoi at 3pm on Oct 21 this year.

He is accused on the second count of committing a similar offence at the Johor police contingent headquarters media centre at 6pm on Oct 10 this year.

The charges are framed under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, punishable under Section 233(3) of the same Act.

Ahmad faces a fine of not more than RM50,000 or a jail term of not more than one year if convicted, and an additional fine of RM1,000 for each day he continues to commit the offence thereafter.

Deputy public prosecutor Umar Saifuddin Jaafar had proposed that bail be set at RM10,000 for each offence, while defence counsel Mohd Radzlan Jalaludin and Mohd Haijan Omar mitigated for a lesser sum, submitting that the accused had only been married for two months and was pursuing his Master's degree at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in Kuala Lumpur.

Ahmad’s counsel also stated that they would be filing a notice of preliminary objection to drop both charges on the grounds that certain statements in the charge sheets were not relevant to the accused.

Judge Zamri Bakar set bail at RM5,000 in one surety and fixed Nov 28 for re-mention.

Fadiah (right) said Ahmad’s family is with him to take him home and have paid the bail money.

They have  expressed thankfulness for his safety.

Ahmad, a 27-year-old quantity surveyor, was arrested on Friday and brought to Johor Baru to be probed for allegedly insulting the Johor sultan in a Facebook posting.

After a three-day remand, he was arrested again and further remanded another three days.

Ahmad has 10 siblings and several attended the Suaram-organised candlelight vigil last night at Dataran Merdeka.

This morning, four police personnel from Johor, led by one ASP Tan, visited and searched Ahmad’s family home in Klang.

Ahmad’s elder sister Aziah said the family would fully cooperate with the police if they work “professionally according to the law and ensure her brother’s safety”.