INDEPENDENT preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin has been sentenced to a year in jail after the Shah Alam High Court rejected his appeal to strike out his conviction and nine-month sentence for insulting the Selangor sultan seven years ago.

Justice Abdul Halim Aman added another three months to Wan Ji’s jail term after considering a counter-appeal from the prosecution team.

Halim said the words used by Wan Ji in his Facebook posts were insulting to Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. 

“It is not just an insult but it will also breed hatred to the royal institution. It is overboard and we must remember the Rukun Negara that is Kesetiaan Kepada Raja-raja (loyalty to the rulers).

“Although we are given our own freedom, there is a limit to everything and we are bound to follow the rule of law in our daily lives,” said the judge.

Wan Ji’s counsel Mohd Radzlan Jalaludin said his client would go to jail immediately today.

“The application to stay the sentence will only be heard after a formal application is made, Radzlan told The Malaysian Insight.

The lawyer said he had told the court in mitigation that Wan Ji is the sole breadwinner of his household of five children, aged one to 14, as his wife does not work.

Judge Halim, however, ordered Radzlan to file an application for a stay formally.

Wan Ji’s conviction and nine-month jail sentence was handed down on April 18 last year by Shah Alam Sessions Court judge Mohd Sabri Ismail.

Wan Ji was charged under the Sedition Act with committing the offence in November 2012. – July 9, 2019.