Kuala Lumpur (TIP): Former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was charged on August 27 with sedition over a speech he made that allegedly questioned the integrity of the country’s previous king.
Muhyiddin, who led Malaysia from March 2020 until August 2021, pleaded not guilty in a court in northeast Kelantan state. According to the charge sheet, Muhyiddin made the seditious remarks last month during a by-election campaign in Kelantan.
Nine ethnic Malay state rulers take turns as Malaysia’s king for five-year terms under the country’s rotating monarchy, which began when Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957. The monarchy plays a largely ceremonial role, but are revered by the nation’s majority Muslims.
In his speech on August 14, Muhyiddin had questioned why then-King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah didn’t invite him to be prime minister following a hung Parliament in November 2022. Muhyiddin had claimed he had the backing of majority lawmakers.
Sultan Abdullah appointed then-opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister after Anwar cobbled up support from rival parties to form a unity government.
Sultan Abdullah from central Pahang state didn’t comment on the case. But his son issued a strong rebuke to Muhyiddin, saying his remarks were dangerous and could divide the people and cause them to lose faith in the royal institution. Muhyiddin had then denied insulting the royalty, saying that his remarks were factual. (AP)
Imran Khan eyes Oxford University Chancellor post
London (TIP): Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has decided to enter the race to be elected the new Chancellor of the University of Oxford to “give back” to the world.
The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician studied philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) at the world-famous university’s Keble College from 1972 to 1975 and also captained the university cricket team.
He told ‘The Daily Telegraph’ from his prison cell in Rawalpindi this week that he would be a passionate advocate for the university.
“Oxford University helped me a lot in my formative years. As Chancellor, I would passionately advocate for Oxford, championing its values of diversity, equality and inclusion, both in the UK and abroad,” said Khan in his application. (PTI)