KAJANG: The Shah Alam High Court has sentenced GISB Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISBH) chief executive officer Nasiruddin Mohd Ali and Mohammad Adib At-Tamimi – the son of former Al-Arqam founder Ashaari Muhammad – to 15 months jail for becoming members of an unlawful organisation.
Apart from Nasiruddin, 66, and Mohammad Adib At-Tamimi, 33, the jail term was also meted out to 11 others jointly accused with them.
They are Mohd Shukri Mohd Noor, 54; Muhammad Afdaluddin Latif, 35; Mohamad Sayuti Omar, 36; Mohd Fazil Md Jasin, 58; Mohd Dhirar Fakhrur Razi, 35; Mokhtar Tajuddin, 61; Muhammad Fajrul Islam Khalid, 29; Abu Ubaidah Ahmad Shukri, 35; Shuhaimi Mohamed, 57; Hasnan Abd Hamid, 54; and Muhammad Zahid Azhar @ Nadzri, 52.
All of them, however, were released yesterday as the jail sentence was to begin from the date of their arrest, which was between Sept 2, 2024, and Oct 12, 2024.
Judge Datuk Seri Latifah Mohd Tahar meted out the sentence during a proceeding held at the Kajang Prison Complex after they pleaded guilty to the charge yesterday.
Nasiruddin’s wife, Azura Md Yusof, 58, and eight other women were each fined RM4,500, in default seven months imprisonment, after pleading guilty to the same charge.
The eight women are Khalilatul-Zalifah Mohammad Jamil, 28; Nur Jannah Omar, 33; Hamimah Yakub, 72; Asmat @ Asmanira Muhammad Ramly, 45; Nurul Jannah Idris, 29; Siti Salmiah Ismail, 58; Siti Hajar Ismail, 52; and Mahani Kasim, 55.
They were initially charged with being members of an organised criminal group under Section 130V(1) of the Penal Code, which provides imprisonment of not less than five years and a maximum of 20 years upon conviction.
However, following a representation from all the accused, the Attorney General’s Chambers offered them an alternative charge of becoming members of GISBH, which is an unlawful organisation.
They were charged with committing the offence at a premises in Bandar Country Homes, Rawang, between October 2020 and Sept 11, 2024.
Before handing down the sentence, Judge Latifah said the court took into consideration the guilty pleas of all the accused to the alternative charge, after hearing the prosecution’s aggravating submissions and the defence’s mitigation pleas.
“There are 13 male accused in this case, and the court has taken into account their guilty pleas to the alternative charge, as well as their expression of remorse and regret over their actions. The court also considered the fact that they have been in remand for 13 months,” she said as reported by Bernama.
As for the female accused, the judge said the court also took into account their guilty pleas and the period they spent in remand, which was about six months, before being granted bail.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Shafiq Hasim requested a deterrent and proportionate sentence, taking into account that the offences committed by all the accused were serious and had an impact on social stability and national security.
“The court should not take into account the age factor, as all the accused are mature adults who understand the difference between right and wrong. Their guilty pleas should not be viewed as the main factor in reducing the sentence.
“Therefore, the prosecution is seeking imprisonment for all the accused,” said Shafiq, who is handling the case together with DPPs Mohammad Fakhrurrazi Ahmad Salim and Norinna Bahadun.
Lawyer Datuk Rosli Kamaruddin, representing all the accused, appealed for the minimum sentence and requested that the nine female accused be fined instead.
“The remand period for all the male accused began around September 2024, and they have been in custody for one year, one month, and 20 days. As for the female accused, they were in remand for six months before being granted bail on March 24, 2025.
“All the accused have repented and expressed regret for their actions, which deviated from the teachings of Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah,” he said.
Speaking to reporters later, Rosli said all the accused were released yesterday despite the 15-month jail sentence as this was calculated from the date of arrest and after deducting weekends and public holidays.
