KUALA LUMPUR: A 20-year-old Islamic State (IS) supporter was sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to four terrorism related charges, including a planned attack on the Better Beer Festival 2017 which had been scheduled for October last year.
However, Muhamad Hafizi Mat Jusoh will spend only nine years in prison as High Court judge Datuk Mohd Sofian Abd Razak ordered the sentences to be served concurrently.
Before pronouncing the sentence, Sofian advised Hafizi to study while in prison and try to do something which would make the nation proud as he was still young.
In the first charge, Hafizi was alleged to have given training via a WhatsApp group, “The Rise of Jundullah”, between 9.07pm and 10.28pm on Sept 23 last year, on how to make an explosive device to a group of people who were ready to conducted a terror attack in Kota Baru.
He was charged under Section 130F(a) of the Penal Code which carries a maximum 30 years’ jail and fine upon conviction.
In the second charge, Hafizi was alleged to attended a training session at an empty plot of land in Gong Kulim, Pasir Puteh in Kelantan, between 3.30pm and 4pm on Oct 10 last year, as preparation for the terror attack on the festival.
The second charge was under Section 130FB(1)(a) of the Penal Code which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years or fine upon conviction.
In the third charge, the youngest of nine siblings was alleged to have owned 57 items linked to IS and two items linked to al-Qaeda in his mobile phone at Restoran K&K, Lot 2689, Jalan Tok Janggut, Kampung Kelubi in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan at 4.30pm, also on Oct 10 last year.
For this, he was charged under Section 130JB(1)(a) of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of up to seven years or fine upon conviction.
In the fourth charge, Hafizi was alleged to have uploaded 13 videos and five pictures involving IS, al-Qaeda and another terrorist group, Jemaah Ansharut Tauhid, on his Instagram account using the handle “al_akh_fillah” using his mobile phone.
This offence, under Section 130JB(1)(b) which also carries the same sentence as the third charge, was alleged to have taken place at the same restaurant, at the same time.
Sofian handed down a sentence of nine years’ imprisonment for the first charge, five years for the second charge and three each for the third and fourth charges.
He ordered the sentences to be carried out concurrently from the date of Hafizi’s arrest on Oct 10, 2017.
In mitigation, Hafizi’s lawyer Ariff Azami pleaded with the court to hand down a light sentence, as his client was young, came from a good background and had a bright future ahead if given a chance.
“He had never forgotten his studies and even sat for the Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia exam while in the Pengkelan Chepa prison while awaiting trial.”
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Fadzlan Mohd Noor, however, asked the court to hand down an appropriate sentence as this was a serious matter as the accused had made concrete and detailed plans to launch a terror attack.