A couple was today charged in the Kuala Terengganu Sessions Court with insulting the Sultan of Perak in the Internet.

Businessman Fuad Ariff Abdul Rashid, 35, and his wife, Fatimah Maisurah Abdullah, 34, a lawyer, were charged with two counts of posting unsavoury comments against the sultan in the ruler's official website.

They were accused of committing the offences at No 1206, Kampung Tok Kaya, Chabang Tiga, in Kuala Terengganu at 7.57am and 8.01am on Feb 14.

Each offence under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998 carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or a jail term not exceeding a year, or both, on conviction.

Judge Mohamad Khalid Abdul Karim fixed April 20 for mention and allowed bail of RM6,000 with one surety each.

Fuad and Fatimah were represented by lawyer Wan Zainuddin Wan Musa while deputy public prosecutor Azmi Ariffin led the prosecution.

Wan Zainuddin told reporters outside the court that he would make a representation to the Attorney-General's Chambers to reconsider the charges against his clients and to drop the charges against Fatimah.

Five others in the dock as well

The case today followed a nationwide swoop by the Attorney-General's Chambers on Friday to charge six others with similar offences.

Of the six, one person had pleaded guilty and was fined RM10,000. The other had claimed trial and various dates have been fixed for their trials.

Separate charges were preferred in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Butterworth and Kota Kinabalu last Friday.

They were all accused of allegedly insulting the Sultan of Perak in the Internet over the ruler's role in the ongoing political crisis in the state.

This is the first time anyone had been charged under this Act.

Suhakam: Avoid selective prosecution

Meanwhile the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) today urged the Attorney General to ensure that prosecutions against anyone allegedly being seditious of the Perak sultan are undertaken in the clearest of cases.

"In order for the authority to avoid any perception of selective prosecution, it is incumbent upon the public prosecutor to inform the public of his decision as to whether or not certain reports of sedition merit prosecution of otherwise," said commissioner Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

He said that the commission in its monthly meeting today took note of the recent arrests and prosecutions of a number of bloggers concerning their allegedly seditious postings.

He added that when sedition was invoked, it must be used with great care to avoid any misapprehension of selective prosecution.

The statement did not state if the commission was referring to the series of prosecutions undertaken on Friday and today against those who have allegedly insulted Sultan Azlan Shah.

It must be noted that the eight that have been charged were charged under the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998 and not the Sedition Act.