Former Malaysian leader Muhyiddin charged with sedition for allegedly mocking former king

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has been charged with sedition over a speech he made that allegedly mocked 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. The monarchy plays a largely ceremonial role butare revered by the nation’s majority Muslims. Muhyiddin denied insulting the king and said his remarks about the country’s politics were factual.