KUALA LUMPUR (July 13): The woman in the viral "stand-up comedy" clip which alledgedly insulted Islam has been charged.

Siti Nuramira Abdullah, 26, was charged on Wednesday (July 13) under Section 298A(1)(a) of the Penal Code for causing disharmony or feelings of enmity on grounds of religion between persons professing the same religion for her performance at the Crackhouse Comedy Club in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) on June 4..

If found guilty, she could face imprisonment of not less than two years and not more than five years.

She pleaded not guilty before Sessions Court Judge Siti Aminah Ghazali.

The judge set bail at RM20,000 with one surety on conditions that Siti Nuramira report to the Brickfields police station monthly and surrender her passport to court. A gag order was also imposed on Siti Nuramira to forbid her from commenting on the ongoing trial on any social media platform.

While this is a non-bailable offence, earlier during proceedings on Wednesday, Siti Nuramira's lawyers R Sivaraj and Datuk Shaharudin Ali argued for bail to be set between RM4,000 and RM5,000.

They argued that the 26-year-old is not a flight risk and has fully cooperated with the authorities during the investigation.

Sivaraj said that on the night of July 9, she received a call from the police in the evening and waited for them instead of fleeing.

"She was aware that [the video] had gone viral but she didn't run away," he added.

Furthermore, he said that his client now works as an executive processing payments for a technology firm and earns around RM3,000 a month.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Najihah Farhana Che Awang, however, said that although this is a non-bailable offence, it is up to the court's discretion to grant bail.

She countered that bail should be set at RM50,000 with one surety, arguing that the matter has garnered public attention and can impact how the public views the judiciary.

The judge also set Aug 18 for case mention.

In the brief video which went viral over the weekend, the woman removed her headscarf and baju kurung on stage, revealing a "less modest" outfit, during an open mic session at the Crackhouse Comedy Club in TTDI. She also said that she was a Muslim who had memorised 15 chapters of the Quran.

The club's organisers said that they immediately barred the woman and her partner from the venue after the incident and lodged a police report.

The Kuala Lumpur City Hall has since suspended the club's licence, a move which drew the ire of many, especially comedians who argued that the comedy club should not be punished for the woman's act during the open mic session.

An open mic session is typically reserved for those interested in testing out their comedy routine or material.

Separately, Alexander Navin Vijayachandran, believed to be Siti Nuramira's partner, was also charged on Wednesday in Petaling Jaya Sessions Court.

He faces two charges under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities or services.

The first charge revolves around an Instagram post on June 5 for which he is accused of initiating the post said to be indecent with the intention to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person.

The second charge revolves around a YouTube posting on June 16 for which he is accused of the same offence.

If found guilty, he faces a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or imprisonment up to a year or both for each offence. He could also face an additional fine of RM1,000 per day if the offence continues after he is charged.

Alexander was represented by Sivaraj while DPP Mohamad Firdaous Mohamed Idris acted for the prosecution.

He pleaded not guilty before Sessions Court Judge Azrul Darus.

Bail was set at RM10,000 for each offence. The case is set for mention on Sept 1.