The former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Muhyiddin Yassin, who currently leads the largest opposition party, has been charged with treason for allegedly insulting the country’s former king. Muhyiddin appeared in court in the northeastern town of Gua Musang on Tuesday morning, where he pleaded not guilty.

The charges stem from comments he made on August 14 during the campaign for his conservative Perikatan Nasional alliance in a state election context. If found guilty, he could face up to three years in prison. According to Malaysian media, Muhyiddin questioned why the then-king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, did not invite him to become prime minister after the November 2022 election. Reports indicate that Muhyiddin told his supporters that he was the political leader who had sufficient support from lawmakers to form a government, while the king chose Anwar Ibrahim to serve as prime minister after a contentious election campaign.

Malaysia has a unique rotating monarchy system, where sultans from each of the nine states on the peninsula take turns being the nation’s king for a five-year term. While the monarchy primarily serves a ceremonial role, it enjoys deep respect among the ethnic Malay community, which makes up more than half of the population. The monarchy has gained a more prominent role since May 2018, when the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition lost power for the first time since independence.

Sultan Abdullah has not commented on the matter, but his son has sharply rebuked Muhyiddin, stating that his remarks were dangerous and could divide the people while undermining trust in the royal institution. Muhyiddin has denied insulting the monarchy, asserting that his comments were factual. Sultan Abdullah, who hailed from the central state of Pahang, was succeeded in January by Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar from the southern state of Johor.