The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court has ordered Sarawak PKR leader Iswardy Morni to enter his defence for allegedly insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Judge Edwin Paramjothy today ruled that the prosecution succeeded in establishing a prima facie (answerable) case against the state party strategic director.

Iswardy’s counsel Faizal Rahman confirmed the criminal court made the ruling at the end of the prosecution’s case, which saw nine witnesses testify during the full trial.

The lawyer said that the defence stage of trial may begin somewhere in November, pending the finalisation of the dates.

The 47-year-old accused’s case is linked to the 2021 online video “Total lockdown: Apa yang kerajaan gagal belajar dalam setahun” (Total lockdown: What the government failed to learn after a year).

On June 1, 2021, Iswardy pleaded not guilty to the charge of issuing a statement on his Facebook page that was seditious and amounted to an insult against His Majesty.

Iswardy was accused of having issued the statement via the “Iswardy Morni Official” Facebook page, at the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department at 3pm on May 29, 2021.

The charge was framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948, which is punishable with a fine up to RM5,000, or jail time not exceeding three years, or both.

The accused is out on bail.

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