Single mother fined RM10,000 for insulting King, ex-PM

KUALA LUMPUR: A single mother was fined RM10,000 by a Sessions Court here for two counts of making offensive and insulting posts against former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah in the MalaysiaFlipFlop blog.

Sessions Court judge M. M. Edwin Paramjothy meted out the sentence on Lai Yuet Ming, 65, after she changed her plea to guilty to both charges on Dec 6.

The court then adjourned the sentencing to Tuesday (Dec 21).

Lai, who was first charged on June 9, last year, was accused of consciously making and initiating offensive and malicious communications against Muhyiddin with intent to annoy others through the MalaysiaFlipFlop blog on March 23.

The offence committed under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or a maximum jail term of one year or both and a further fine of RM1,000 for each day the offence is continued, upon conviction.

For the second charge, she was accused of consciously making statements against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the blog on March 21 with the intention of causing fear or panic to the public, under Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail sentence of two years, a fine or both, if convicted.

Both the posts were read at the Cyber Crime and Multimedia Investigation Division, Commercial Crime Investigation Department, Bukit Aman Police Headquarters at 1.40pm on May 6, and 10pm on March 21.

She had claimed trial then and was released on a RM4,000 bail.

In Tuesday's proceedings, judge Edwin Paramjothy sentenced Lai to a RM4,000 fine in default of three months jail for the first offence and another RM6,000 in default of six months jail for the second offence.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Najihah Farhana Che Awang appeared for the prosecution while lawyer Rajsurian Pillai represented Lai.