Judge warns against social media comments on Zahid’s graft trial after daughter’s post

High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah today warned the public against making any comments on social media related to the ongoing corruption trial of former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The warning was issued after deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran informed the court that Zahid’s daughter, Nurulhidayah, had made a post about her father’s case on Instagram.

“This court has to issue a warning of sub judice nature about such comments. Such comments should not be made while the trial is ongoing,” Sequerah said.

Earlier, Raja Rozela said the prosecution believed Nurulhidayah had made the post on the issue of immunity yesterday, on her Instagram page under the name “nurul.zahid”.

“We believe that the author was Zahid’s daughter. The comment was baseless and prejudicial. It is not fair for the prosecution because the case is still ongoing.

“I am not instructed to initiate a contempt proceeding but it is sufficient to inform the public not to make any comment on the proceedings,” Raja Rozela said, adding that the court should prohibit the author (Nurulhidayah) and general members of the public from making any comments on the case.

Zahid’s counsel Hamidi Mohd Noh then told the court that he would ask the author (Nurulhidayah) to remove the comment.

“We first apologise to the court. We will ask the author to delete the posting if the court wishes it to be removed,” Hamidi said.

A check on Instagram found that Nurulhidayah had deleted the posting and posted a new one in which she apologised to the court over the matter.

“I should not share or comment on what transpires during the proceedings. It will not happen again,” she said.

Zahid, 68, is facing 47 charges – 12 of criminal breach of trust, eight of corruption and 27 of money laundering – involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.