Court schedules hearing on Wan Azri contempt appeal and possible fine replacement

A three-judge panel headed by Azizul Azmi Adnan, with Ong Chee Kwan and Radzi Harun, will determine the fate of Wan Azri's appeal against contempt of court sanctions. Wan Azri's counsel, Rafique Rashid Ali, contends that his client complied with the court's order by publishing an unconditional apology on TikTok, YouTube, X and Telegram for at least seven days and paying a RM5,000 cost, and asks that the prison term be replaced with a fine to protect his basic liberties.

The opposing side, represented by Raam Kumar, argues that the apology was superficial, the video text moved too quickly to be legible, and a subsequent video denied any apology, justifying the original punishments. Raam also notes the court's authority under Section 69(4) of the 1964 Judicial Courts Act to increase penalties even without a counter-appeal. The case follows earlier contempt convictions that imposed consecutive short-term imprisonments for inadequate apologies.