Court appearance: Muhammad Firdaus (foreground) leaving the courtroom after being charged.
JOHOR BARU: A 39-year-old draughtsman pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here to four charges of sending an insulting text and picture about Islam in a post on his Facebook account last year.
Muhammad Firdaus Embong, as the person being summoned, made the plea after the charges were read to him before judge Che Wan Zaidi Che Wan Ibrahim yesterday.
According to the charge sheet, he posted the text and pictures with the intent to hurt the feelings of others.
This is an offence under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act, which outlines the improper use of network facilities or services.
It provides a fine of up to RM50,000, a maximum jail term of one year, or both, and a further fine of RM1,000 for each day the offence continues, upon conviction.
The offence was said to have been committed between March 17 and Aug 18, 2022.
The case was prosecuted by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission prosecution officer Mai Zairani Zainal Abidin and deputy public prosecutor Fazril Sani Mohamad Fadzil.
The court set bail at RM5,000 for each charge with one surety and fixed May 15 for the case re-mention.
Muhammad Firdaus, who was not represented, posted bail.
