KUALA LUMPUR: A public university student was fined RM10,000 after pleading guilty to creating and posting an obscene video on his X account last year.
Sessions Court judge Suhaila Haron imposed the sentence on Muhammad Aidil Akmal Azhar, 24, and ordered a four-month imprisonment in default. He paid the fine.
The accused knowingly made and initiated the transmission of an obscene video with the intent to annoy others, via the account @sanomanji89 on X at 10.45pm on March 1, 2024.
He was charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which provides for a fine of up to RM50,000, a jail term of up to one year, or both, with a further fine of RM1,000 for each day the offence persists after conviction, Bernama reported.
According to the statement of facts, a digital forensic officer from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) performed data preservation and forensic analysis on the @sanomanji89 account, subsequently identifying the username “Manjiro”, confirming the said video had been uploaded from a mobile phone seized from the accused.
MCMC deputy public prosecutor Fadhli Ab Wahab urged the court to impose a proportionate sentence, emphasising the serious national impact of obscene content on social media, which affects moral, social, economic, security and international standing.
“Young people are the most affected group due to their high exposure to social media. If left unchecked, this will lead to a generation with weak morals, low moral resilience and a lack of focus, undermining the nation’s human capital development.
“The court may also take judicial notice of the significant increase in such cases on social media,” Fadhli submitted.
