Gusti Ishak Fitri Shah, 30, initially pleaded guilty after the charge was read out by the court interpreter before magistrate A Shaarmini, Harian Metro reported.

However, when the magistrate asked whether he understood the nature of the charge and its implications, particularly as a civil servant, the accused merely smiled.

“Don’t smile at me. I’m asking whether you want to plead guilty or not. If you’re not pleading guilty, you’ll need to get a lawyer to represent you,” Shaarmini was quoted as saying.

The accused then changed his plea to not guilty and requested to stand trial.

According to the charge sheet, Gusti is accused of possessing pornographic content on his mobile phone at Taman Cahaya Masai, Pasir Gudang, at around 7pm on Jan 13, 2024.

The charge was framed under Section 292(a) of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of three years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Nur Fatihah Nizam proposed bail at RM10,000 with one surety, but the court granted bail at RM3,000.

The case has been fixed for mention on May 30.