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THE Port Dickson BERSATU chief, Badrul Hisham Shaharin, 46, popularly known as Chegubard, was released and acquitted by the Sessions Court today on charges of making a defamatory statement against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong last year.
Presiding over the case, Judge Norma Ismail ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case by the close of its evidence.
"In view of this, the accused is discharged and acquitted without having to enter a defence," she said.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Sabri Othman, alleged that Badrul Hisham had made a statement with reason to believe it would tarnish the reputation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The alleged offence occurred at the Office of the Datuk Pengelola Bijaya Diraja, Istana Negara, at 6pm on 22 January 2024.
The charge was framed under Section 500 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both, if convicted.
Badrul Hisham was represented by lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali. The prosecution closed its case on 7 August after the testimony of the final witness, the investigating officer.
Four prosecution witnesses had testified since the trial began on 16 May, including the complainant from Istana Negara, two representatives from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and the investigating officer. - November 4, 2025