Rais Yatim is accused of making remarks backing Tunku Nadzaruddin and urging others to be loyal to the rival claimant to the state throne
3-MIN READ3-MINIman Muttaqin YusofPublished: 1:03pm, 25 Sep 2026A veteran Malaysian politician pleaded not guilty on Friday to a sedition charge over remarks backing a rival claimant to the Negeri Sembilan throne amid the months-long royal crisis.Rais Yatim, 84, a former cabinet minister and president of Malaysia’s Senate, was charged at the Sessions Court in Ayer Keroh, Melaka, for his comments on June 5, during a ceremony proclaiming Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar the state’s 12th ruler.
Rais is accused of uttering seditious words at the Parkroyal A’Famosa Melaka Resort in Alor Gajah at about 1pm that day, an offence under Section 4(1)(b) of Malaysia’s Sedition Act 1948. The offence carries a maximum fine of 5,000 ringgit (US$1,200), up to three years in prison, or both.
