SEPANG: A freelancer was fined RM20,000 by the Sessions Court here on Thursday (June 12) after pleading guilty to distributing obscene and sexually explicit videos for commercial purposes in February last year.
Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman handed down the sentence to Ahmad Ali Madali, 40, and ordered a six-month jail term in default of payment.
The man was charged with knowingly using a Telegram account to transmit obscene communication by providing access to a Telegram group which contained pornographic videos, for commercial purposes, to an undercover agent from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) at 10.05 pm on Feb 10, 2024.
The charge was framed under Section 233(2)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, punishable under Section 233(3) of the same Act, which provides for a maximum fine of RM50,000, a jail term of up to one year, or both, upon conviction.
Based on the facts of the case, a check on the mobile phone used by the accused revealed a Touch 'n Go e-wallet transaction history of RM400 made to him by the undercover agent.
Ahmad Fuad said the offence had a significant impact on public morality and was contrary to Islamic values and the Rukun Negara principles.
"Society today is becoming increasingly indecent, and if this trend continues, it will lead to serious problems. Public morality must be upheld, and such activities must be appropriately punished," he said.
The charge was handled by MCMC prosecuting officer Mohamad Azmir Mohd Razali, while the accused was unrepresented.
Pleading for leniency, Ahmad Adli said that he had no fixed income, was supporting his wife and three-year-old child, and was paying for his father-in-law's medical expenses.
However, the prosecution urged the court to impose a heavy sentence on Ahmad Ali, citing the severity of the offence and its negative impact on society, noting that children could potentially access the videos.
The accused then paid the fine. – Bernama
