Aliff, 34, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out to him before judge Ahmad Rizki Jalil, according to Berita Harian.

The charges, framed under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and punishable under Section 233(3) of the same law, provide for a maximum fine of RM50,000 or up to a year’s jail each, and a further fine of RM1,000 for each day the offence continues after conviction.

The court set bail of RM20,000 for all the charges and fixed Nov 25 for mention.

According to the charge sheet, Aliff knowingly produced and uploaded an offensive video with the intention of offending others on April 13, 15, 17 and 21. The video was seen on April 24 at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in Cyberjaya.

Aliff was questioned by the MCMC in April, after which he was reported to have apologised to those who were offended by it.

The video clip, depicting a group of male dancers in make-up displaying effeminate behaviour, courted controversy as it was said to have been unsuitable for public consumption, especially during Ramadan.

We are live on Telegram, subscribe here for breaking news and the latest announcements.