Justice Jamil Hussin instead imposed a further RM5,000 fine on Wong Yan Ke, the former Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) president, on top of the RM5,000 fine previously handed down by the magistrates’ court.

Jamil said he found that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and that there was no need to reverse the trial judge’s decision.

“Therefore, the appellant’s conviction is maintained,” he said, agreeing with the prosecution’s argument that the lower court’s sentence of a RM5,000 fine was too light.

“The RM5,000 fine is set aside and replaced with a RM10,000 fine, or six months in prison if he fails to pay the amount. I understand that the appellant already paid the RM5,000 fine prior to this, so he will need to pay a further RM5,000.”

Deputy public prosecutor Khatijah Khalid prosecuted while Wong was represented by lawyers Chan Yen Hui, Chong Kar Yan, and Farida Mohammad.

In October 2023, the Kuala Lumpur magistrates’ court found Wong guilty of insulting the then UM vice-chancellor, Abdul Rahim Hashim, and attendees of the convocation on Oct 14, 2019, by carrying a placard on stage demanding Rahim’s resignation.

The court disagreed with Wong’s reasoning that he had no other means of voicing his views, saying there were numerous options he could have used before resorting to the protest.

Wong, now the Bersih deputy chairman, graduated from UM with a degree in civil engineering.