The government, which had brought the matter up to the Federal Court on appeal, is challenging the COA’s decision. The others on the panel were Federal Court judges Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan, Datuk Che Ruzima Ghazali, Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, and Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah. Tuesday's appeal was in relation to the appellate court's decision last August in activist Heidy Quah's case. The COA had said that Section 233 of the CMA does not clearly define what counts as offensive remarks, or an intent to annoy. It has to be noted that the government has passed amendments to the law, which include changes to this specific section at the heart of the court case.

Source: The Edge Markets January 13, 2026 10:19 UTC