THE Court of Appeal today ordered preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin to start serving his nine-month prison sentence for publishing offensive statements and insulting the Sultan of Selangor via Facebook 11 years ago today.

This followed a unanimous decision by a three-judge panel led by Hadhariah Syed Ismail to reinstate the Shah Alam Sessions Court’s decision on April 9, 2018, to sentence Wan Ji to nine months in prison for the offence, and dismiss his appeal against the conviction and sentence.

In reinstating the Shah Alam Sessions Court’s decision, Judge Hadhariah also set aside the decision of the Shah Alam High Court in July 2019 which sentenced Wan Ji, 41, to one year in prison.

She said Wan Ji’s appeal had no merit because there was a lot of evidence showing the appellant (Wan Ji) was the owner of the Facebook page.

“Regarding the punishment, the High Court judge has no reason to increase the punishment. The sentence (of nine months’ imprisonment) should have been upheld.

“The court sets aside the one-year prison sentence handed down by the Shah Alam High Court against Wan Ji and reinstates the decision of the Shah Alam Sessions Court,” said Hadhariah, who sat with Azman Abdullah and Azmi Ariffin.

Hadhariah said there was no offence committed under the Sedition Act 1948, as claimed by Wan Ji in his appeal.

“The freedom of speech does not mean we can speak at will, and the words on the appellants Facebook page were indeed inappropriate. Even if one is an expert in religious matters, they should not belittle others.

“If giving religious advice, deliver it with well-meaning words. Don’t use inappropriate words, especially against the Selangor sultan, in light of 3R (race, religion, royalty) issues. Be careful with sensitive statements,” she said.

Wan Ji had appealed against the one-year prison sentence handed down by the Shah Alam High Court in July 2019 after allowing the prosecution’s cross-appeal to increase his nine-month prison sentence by the Shah Alam Sessions Court on April 9, 2018.

On April 9, 2018, Sessions Court judge Mohd Sabri Ismail sentenced Wan Ji to nine months in jail after finding him guilty of publishing words that insulted the Selangor sultan via the Facebook name wanji.attaaduddi.

He was charged under section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948, which provides for a maximum fine of RM5,000, imprisonment of not more than three years, or both for the first offence, and a maximum of five years’ imprisonment for the second and subsequent offences. – Bernama, September 25, 2023.