A 35-year-old man who allegedly threatened to beat up Perlis Mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has pleaded not guilty this morning at the Kangar magistrates’ court, said police.

Perlis police chief Noor Mushar Mohd, told The Malaysian Insight that Kumaresan Yehganathan, from Penang, was released after paying RM5,000 bail.

“The suspect who was previously under remand was brought to Kangar magistrates’ court this morning where he pleaded not guilty.

“The judge imposed RM5,000 as bail and the case will be heard on May 17,” the police chief said.

On May 3, state authorities nabbed Kumaresan after he was alleged to have threatened in a Facebook post to beat up Asri.

The man was detained at his home in Batu Uban Gelugor.

The case is being investigated under Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation and Section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act for misuse of network facilities or network services to transmit communication deemed offensive or annoying to another person.

Asri, a popular Muslim scholar, lodged a police report in Padang Besar, Perlis on May 2 over the Facebook post by account user Sandev Sandev, who threatened to beat the preacher until he was injured.

Kumaresan was previously remanded for four days from the date of his arrest until May 6.

Asri recently defended his friend Muhammad Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu, an Indian Muslim convert who was accused of insulting Hinduism in a sermon.

The preacher also said that Islam was being sidelined by Pakatan Harapan.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad responded by branding the Mufti as “deaf” for not hearing the efforts done by the new government in upholding Islam and its religious institutions. – May 6, 2019.