KUALA LUMPUR: Blogger Aduka Taruna, who is alleged to have insulted the late Sultan of Johor, Sultan Iskandar ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail, must apologise formally before a court judge who will preside over his case.

Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the blogger must also apologise formally to the Johor royal family.

"If anyone wishes to apologise, he or she can do so formally at the court which forms a mitigating factor in court. Apologising to the royal family is a matter that is outside the law, (and) it is at the discretion of the royal
family concerned whether to accept the apology," he said at a media conference, here today.

The 29-year-old blogger is reported to have surrendered at the Kota Baharu District Police Headquarters on Monday and had been remanded for four days for police to carry out investigations.

The blogger subsequently apologised openly to the Malaysian public for his extreme behaviour in the blog and withdrew the offending article.

Rais earlier said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) would investigate the matter and take legal action under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or one year's jail or both upon conviction.

He said that the MCMC had investigated 352 cases throughout last year and of the number, 13 cases had been taken to court.

"The number of cases that were compounded was 38 and the total fines collected was RM460,000 while 174 cases are still under investigation and there are 36 cases that need further investigation on the instruction of the deputy public prosecutor," he said.