Blogger Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, known as Papagomo, was ordered by the Sessions Court on July 30, 2026 to enter his defence for publishing a false Facebook post claiming that 11 PKR MPs withdrew their support for party president and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman said the content could cause public anxiety and investor concern, ruling that the prosecution had proven all elements of the charge under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. The court fixed defence dates for September 1, 2, and 15, with judgment set for October 22, 2026 [1, 2].
In a separate case, the High Court on July 31, 2026 set aside Papagomo’s September 3, 2025 acquittal in a sedition charge related to remarks accusing the government of being pro-Israel. Justice Nurulhuda Nur’Aini Mohamad Nor ruled that the remarks, posted on Facebook under the account 'Halid Hamidi' on November 8, 2023, could incite hatred against the government. The post attracted about 50,000 views, which the court said could cause public harm. She found the Sessions Court erred in acquitting Papagomo without calling him to enter his defence and allowed the prosecution’s appeal. Papagomo was granted bail of RM7,000, with mention fixed for August 11, 2026 [3, 4].
The prosecution argued uploading the false Facebook content was sufficient to constitute an offence regardless of who originally created the post. Deputy public prosecutor Faten Hadni Khairuddin said, "The accused's act of uploading the false content to his own Facebook account, with the intention prohibited under the law, is sufficient to satisfy the elements of the offence under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998." The prosecution also said the withdrawal of a complainant’s police report did not affect the sedition case because the remarks targeted the government, not the individual complainant [1, 2, 4].
The defence lawyer, Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, argued that the prosecution failed to conclusively prove Papagomo created or initiated the false communication. He also cited weaknesses in the sedition prosecution following the police report withdrawal. The defence noted the message was already viral on WhatsApp before being posted on Facebook [1, 2, 3].
The sedition charge was filed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948, which carries penalties of up to RM5,000 fine, three years imprisonment, or both. The original Sessions Court judge who acquitted Papagomo on the sedition charge was Siti Aminah Ghazali [3, 4].
Papagomo’s next mention date in the sedition case is scheduled for August 11, 2026. The false posting case will continue with defence hearings in early September, with judgment expected in late October.
