KUALA LUMPUR: An unemployed man was sentenced by the Sessions Court to seven months’ jail and fined RM10,000 for insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad in a post on his Facebook account last month.
Judge Hasbullah Adam passed the judgment on Mohamad Yazid Kong Abdullah, 52, after he maintained his plea of guilt recorded last Friday for having posted an offensive communication with intention to cause annoyance on the Facebook account in the name of Yazid Kong at 8.21pm on Feb 24.
Hasbullah said the accused had insulted Islam.
“This is serious and he has challenged the Federal Constitution.
“The Federal Constitution states that the Islamic religion is the federal religion, your action truly challenged the Federal Constitution which forms the highest law in our country.
"You are fortunate to be charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 which only provides a maximum jail term of one year,” said the judge.
Mohamad Yazid Kong, who was wearing a grey T shirt and jeans, appeared calm and nodded slowly.
Before the proceedings began, Mohamad Yazid Kong’s wife and two-year-old son were seen in the court and the woman cried loudly while saying, “You think about your son, how to eat every day.”
She was calmed by the lawyer.
The court also ordered Mohamad Yazid Kong to be jailed two months if he failed to pay the fine.
Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhamad Asyraf Md Kamal urged the court to impose a heavy jail sentence and fine for the accused who had uploaded the statement which had angered Muslims throughout the country.
“No one in the multi-racial community in this country can accept any form of insult on religion.
“If it is allowed to continue it could jeopardise harmony among the multi-racial community and subsequently threaten national security,” he said.
In mitigation, counsel Muhammad Syafiq Salleh, who represented Mohamad Yazid Kong, said his client apologised to the court and the whole Muslim community in the country for his action and appealed that he be given a minimal jail term, taking into account that he was a first offender and had pleaded guilty.
“My client converted to Islam when he wanted to marry his first wife and they have divorced. After converting he had no guidance or support on Islamic teachings.
"He has five children, four with the first wife, a Malay woman, and one with the new wife, an Indonesian national,” he said.
Last Friday, Mohamad Yazid Kong pleaded guilty to sending an offensive communication via the Facebook application using the profile name ‘Yazid Kong’, at 8.21 pm on Feb 24, 2019.
The message was then read by another Facebook user, with the website profile ‘Mohamad Syafiq’ at Masjid Salahuddin Al-Ayubi, Jalan Taman Melati, Wangsa Maju, here at 12 noon on March 1 recently.
According to the facts of the case, the accused had uploaded a statement that insulted the Islamic religion and Prophet Muhammad PBUH on his Facebook website which was accessible via the handphone. - Bernama