Sedition: Preacher begins jail time after failing to quash conviction

Preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin will begin serving nine months in prison over a 2014 sedition case linked to the Selangor sultan after the appellate court unanimously allowed his appeal to reduce his sentence which the High Court had previously enhanced.

However, the bench did not allow his appeal to quash the conviction.

On April 9, 2018, the Shah Alam Sessions Court found Wan Ji, who was the former religious adviser to the Penang chief minister, guilty of sedition and imposed a nine-month jail sentence. Both the accused as well as the prosecution appealed over the sentencing.

On July 9, 2019, the Shah Alam High Court allowed the prosecutors’ appeal for a more severe sentence and increased Wan Ji’s custodial term to one year in jail. The accused then appealed to the Court of Appeal.

In reading out the unanimous verdict this morning, the three-person appeal bench's chairperson Hadhariah Syed Ismail said there was no merit in Wan Ji's appeal to quash his conviction.

She reminded the appellant that freedom of speech does not mean a person in Malaysia can say whatever he or she likes, especially in the need to abide by the 3R principle (public discussion should not touch on sensitive issues of race, religion and royalty).

"If we are learned in religion, then do not denigrate other people.

"If one wishes to give advice on religion, then use proper words so people would listen and refrain from utilising inappropriate words, especially against the Selangor sultan.

"Now there is 3R. We must be careful. When giving a ceramah, there are limits on freedom of speech so that one does not hurt other people's feelings," Hadhariah told Wan Ji as he stood in the dock.

Wan Ji taken to jail

Hadhariah issued the warrant of committal against Wan Ji, with a police officer seen leading the appellant out of the dock to begin his jail sentence.

Counsel Muhammad Faiz Fadzil appeared for Wan Ji, while deputy public prosecutor How May Ling appeared for the prosecution.

Wan Ji, 41, was found guilty of making seditious remarks against the sultan of Selangor as well as on religious issues, via his Facebook account - Wanji.attaaduddi.

He was charged with committing the offence at the Selangor State Secretary Housing Office, 5th Floor, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Building, Section 5 in Shah Alam at 10am on Nov 5, 2012.

Framed under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948, the charge carries a fine up to RM5,000, a jail term not exceeding three years, or both. - Mkini