Ahmad Husam ordered to defend against unrecognized title charges

A Kangar Sessions Court has ordered independent preacher Ahmad Husam Muhamad Baderudin, 36, to enter his defense regarding charges of receiving unrecognized titles and honors. Judge Syarifah Norazlita Syed Salim Idid made the ruling after finding that the prosecution successfully established a prima facie case against the accused.

The charges stem from an incident on May 4, 2023, involving titles allegedly received from the Governor of Melaka. Ahmad Husam is charged under Section 4A(3) of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Wrongful Use) (Amendment) Enactment 2016, read together with Section 17 of the Awards (Offences) Act 2017. If convicted, he faces a fine between RM250,000 and RM500,000, imprisonment for one to five years, or both.

Ahmad Husam has opted to give sworn testimony from the witness stand. His legal counsel, Datuk N. Sivananthan, informed the court that the defense intends to call four witnesses. The court has scheduled the defense proceedings for December 17 and 18.