Ex-Malaysian PM charged with sedition

Ex-Malaysian prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin was charged with sedition on Tuesday over remarks about the country's former king, his lawyer said.

The 77-year-old politician pleaded not guilty, his lawyer told reporters outside the court in the northern town of Gua Musang.

Supporters of the opposition leader cheered when they heard of his plea, an AFP journalist said.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, with a unique arrangement that sees the throne change hands every five years between the rulers of nine Malaysian states headed by centuries-old Islamic royalty.

Undermining royalty can be prosecuted under a colonial-era Sedition Act, with those convicted risking a fine and prison term of up to three years.