PUTRAJAYA: Teenager Muham­mad Amirul Azwan Mohd Shakri, who pleaded guilty to posting insulting comments against Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, will remain in a reform school in Malacca until he is 21 years of age.

The Court of Appeal’s three-man bench led by Justice Datuk Mohd Zawawi Salleh dismissed Muhammad Amirul's final appeal to be released with a bound-over for good behaviour.

The appellate court had upheld the decision of the Johor Baru High Court in September last year to order Muhammad Amirul, 19, a labourer, to be sent to Henry Gurney School in Telok Mas, Malacca until he is 21.

The High Court had set aside the one-year jail sentence imposed by the Sessions Court on Muhammad Amirul and substituted it by placing him in the correctional school.

Muhammad Amirul, from Tumpat, Kelantan, pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court to 14 counts of posting insulting comments against Tunku Ismail on his Facebook account “Miyo Castello”, with the intention of hurting the prince’s feelings and also the Johor royal institution.

His lawyer Hassan Abdul Karim told reporters that Muhammad Amirul had spent three months in jail before his case was brought to the High Court.

He also added that his client would reach 21 years of age in a year and five months.

He said Muhammad Amirul would be re-taking his SPM examination at the correctional school.

Earlier, Hassan told the court that the High Court’s decision to send his client to Henry Gurney School was improper and irregular under the law.

He said Muhammad Amirul regretted his action and was remorseful, and was ready to apologise to Tunku Ismail.

Justice Zawawi asked if Amirul had apologised, to which Hassan replied that his client was not given an opportunity to do so at the High Court.

“You must remember that his original sentence by the Sessions Court was one year’s jail,” said Justice Zawawi.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Zain Ibrahim asked the court to maintain the High Court’s decision, saying the High Court judge did not make any error in his decision.

He said the court had to send the right message to the public. — Bernama