SEPANG, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- A man was sentenced to three months' jail by the Sessions Court here today after pleading guilty to five charges of making offensive posts against the Terengganu royalty via X.
Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman handed down the sentence against Azman Hakim Hassanuddin, 35, and ordered the jail term to run from his remand date of June 24.
He stressed that offences touching on the royal institution, religion and racial sensitivities must be taken seriously because they can have a wide impact on society.
Ahmad Fuad said the principles of Decency and Morality and Loyalty to the King and Country, as enshrined in the Rukun Negara, must be respected.
"So we are sensitive when it comes to the royalty. We respect our rulers. That means we protect them and hold them in high esteem. When you commit such acts, you diminish the dignity of the rulers," he said.
The judge said 3R-related offences, touching on religion, race, and the royal institution, can trigger a ripple effect, where insults against religion or race can provoke outrage and attacks on the royal institution can undermine its dignity and standing.
Earlier, the prosecution informed the court that based on a report from Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta dated Aug 10, the accused, who is a mental health patient, was found fit to stand trial and capable of defending himself.
On June 24, deputy public prosecutor Fadhli Ab Wahab had applied for the accused to be sent to a psychiatric hospital for observation and evaluation.
In his appeal, the accused requested a fine instead, saying he still requires treatment and daily medication.
He said he was only sleeping two to three hours a day when he made the posts in February due to his severe condition.
Azman Hakim was accused of creating and transmitting offensive and threatening communications via his X account @gmxn_ on Feb 19.
He was charged with making four separate offensive posts between 2.25 pm and 4.29 pm with the intent to annoy others.
On a separate charge, he was accused of making a threatening post at 3.46 pm with the intent to intimidate someone.
The charges were brought under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which carries a fine not exceeding RM500,000, or imprisonment of up to two years, or both, as well as an additional fine of RM5,000 for each day the offence persists after conviction.
-- BERNAMA