Labourer jailed six months for insulting King, raising racial issues on social media

KUALA LUMPUR: A labourer has been sentenced to six months' jail by the Sessions Court here on Thursday (April 13) after he pleaded guilty to four counts of making and initiating offensive communications against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and raising racial issues on his Facebook account.

Judge N. Priscilla Hemamalini ordered the accused, Abdul Rahim Abdullah, 49, to serve the sentence concurrently from Thursday.

On the first count, he was charged with consciously making and initiating the transmission of offensive communications regarding racial issues with intent to annoy others through the "Tuk Chik" Facebook account at 3.34pm on Jan 25.

He was charged with three more counts of making and initiating the transmission of offensive communications against the King with intent to annoy others using the same Facebook account between 10.52am and 11.26am on April 2 and 3.

The charges, under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and punishable under Section 233(3) of the same law, provide a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to a year or both, if convicted, and a further fine of RM1,000 for every day during which the offence is continued after conviction.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Nurilya Ellyna Nur Azmal urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence.

Abdul Rahim, who was unrepresented, appealed for a lighter sentence on the grounds that he had repented for the offence, and he also apologised to the royal institution. – Bernama