KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 — A housewife was fined RM10,000, in default nine months’ jail, by the Sessions Court today for uttering seditious and insulting remarks, as well as transmitting offensive communications against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the royal institution and ministers on her Twitter account.
Judge MM Edwin Paramjothy meted out the fine against Nur Faizah Wahid, 28, after she pleaded guilty to both charges.
Nur Faizah was fined RM2,000, in default three months’ jail, for uttering seditious remarks, and also fined RM8,000, in default six months’ jail, for making offensive communications.
According to the first charge, Nur Faizah was alleged to have uploaded seditious and insulting remarks against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the royal institution and ministers through a Twitter application under the profile name “Eija Boo”.
She committed the offence at the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) Office here, at 8.33pm, on May 22 and the charge was framed under Section 4 (1) (a) of the Sedition Act 1948, and can be punished under Section 4 (1) of the same law, which carries a maximum three years’ imprisonment or RM5,000 fine or both, if convicted.
She was also accused of knowingly making and initiating the transmission of offensive communications with intent to offend, via her Twitter account, using the profile name “Fazrin Ismail” at the same time and date.
The link was read at the Bukit Aman CCID’s Cyber and Multimedia Crime Investigation Division office in Wangsa Maju, at 8pm, on June 10.
She was charged under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and is punishable under Section 233 (3) of the same law, which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or a maximum one-year jail term or both, as well as a further fine of RM1,000 for every day the offence continues after conviction.
Earlier, the accused, who was not represented by a lawyer, appealed for leniency as she regretted her actions and repented. However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Noor Dayana Mohamad applied for a just sentence to serve as a lesson.
Meanwhile, in the same court, security guard, Sharil Mohd Sarif, 38, pleaded not guilty to the charge of making and initiating the transmission of offensive communications against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong with intent to offend, via a Twitter account, using the profile name “Sharil bin Mohd Sarif” at 7.43am on April 20, 2021.
The link was read at the Bukit Aman CCID’s Cyber and Multimedia Crime Investigation Division office in Wangsa Maju, at 8pm on June 10, and he was charged under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
The court allowed the accused bail of RM3,000 in one surety, and set September 24 for mention. — Bernama
