Terengganu state excos member Razali Idris fined RM2,000 for seditious comments about court decisions at a 2023 political event
KUALA LUMPUR: A Terengganu state executive council member has been fined RM2,000 for making seditious remarks.
Sessions Court Judge Norma Ismail found Datuk Razali Idris guilty after ruling the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The Kijal assemblyman was ordered to serve a three-month jail term if he fails to pay the fine.
Razali, 59, was charged with uttering seditious words by alleging a court decision was controlled by the government.
The offence was allegedly committed at Padang Astaka Chukai in Kemaman, Terengganu, between 9.30 pm and 11.30 pm on Nov 10, 2023.
The former Bersatu information chief was charged under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of a RM5,000 fine, three years’ imprisonment, or both.
Razali, who pleaded not guilty, was charged with making the statement at a ‘Selawat dan Doa Selamat’ event in Kemaman on October 14, 2024.
Deputy public prosecutor Izzat Amir Idham had earlier urged the court to impose a jail sentence, arguing that a mere fine was insufficient given the seriousness of the offence.
“The accused is a high-ranking and influential individual, and a fine could be seen as a burden that can be borne without providing a real deterrent effect,” he said.
Izzat Amir stressed that Razali was not an ordinary individual but a people’s elected representative holding public trust.
Defence counsel Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud pleaded for his client not to be jailed, citing Razali’s political contributions to the country.
He argued that the statement did not affect national security or public order and had no impact on society.
“A prison sentence exceeding 12 months or a fine exceeding RM2,000 would cause the accused to be disqualified as an assemblyman under Article 48 of the Federal Constitution,” said Awang Armadajaya.
This would subsequently trigger a by-election in the Kijal state seat.
The lawyer added that public interest must be viewed holistically, including the need to save government expenditure.
The prosecution called four witnesses while the defence also called four witnesses during the trial which began in September 2025.
Razali, who is also the Terengganu exco for housing and local government, paid the fine.
