Mohd Tamrin charged with making offensive statement against Johor royalty

JOHOR BAHRU, 10 Mac -- Bekas Ahli Parlimen Batu Berendam Datuk Mohd Tamrin Abdul Ghafar (kiri) mengaku tidak bersalah di Mahkamah Sesyen hari ini, atas pertuduhan membuat kenyataan jelik terhadap kerabat diraja Johor menerusi laman blog, tahun lepas. Mohd Tamrin, 71, yang juga anak bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri Allahyarham Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba membuat pengakuan berkenaan selepas pertuduhan terhadapnya dibacakan di hadapan Hakim Mohd Wan Norisham Wan Yaakob. Hakim kemudian memerintahkan tertuduh diikat jamin RM8,000 dengan seorang penjamin dan 23 Mei depan bagi penyerahan dokumen. --fotoBERNAMA (2021) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA

by BERNAMA / Pic by BERNAMA

JOHOR BAHRU – Former Batu Berendam MP Datuk Mohd Tamrin Abdul Ghafar pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to a charge of making an offensive statement against the Johor royalty on his blog last year.

Mohd Tamrin, 71, who is also the son of the late former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba, claimed trial after the charge was read out to him before Judge Wan Mohd Norisham Wan Yaakob.

According to the charge sheet, Mohd Tamrin, using his blog “tamrintunghafar”, is alleged to have knowingly making communications that was offensive in character with the intention to hurt the feelings of other people, which was read on the Facebook page of “Dato Tamrin Tun Abdul Ghafar”.

The blog posting involves an article about the Tunku Mahkota of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, and the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

Mohd Tamrin, who is currently unemployed, was charged with committing the offence at Media RPO Services office, Jalan Persiaran Southkey 1, Kota Southkey here, at about 7 pm on Feb 2, 2020.

The charge, under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588), punishable under Section 233(3) of the same act, provides a fine not exceeding RM50,000, or imprisonment for up to a year, or both, if found guilty, and shall also be liable to a further fine of RM1,000 for every day during which the offence is continued after conviction.

Wan Mohd Norisham set bail at RM8,000 in one surety and fixed May 23 for case management.

General Crimes and Public Order Unit head Datuk Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim and Johor Prosecution director Tengku Amir Zaki Tengku Abd Rahman prosecuted the case, while lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali represented the accused.