KUALA LUMPUR: A Felda oil palm farmer was fined RM12,000, in default of six months jail, by the Sessions Court today for uploading a posting that threatened to dethrone the Yang di-Pertuan Agong last year.
This came after Samsuri Ramli,45, as the summoned person, pleaded guilty to a charge before judge Siti Aminah Ghazali.
He paid the fine.
Samsuri from Pahang's Felda Triang 3 in Bera, was charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act for using his Facebook profile 'SamBanjar Perak' to post a status that was meant to hurt the feelings of others.
According to the charge sheet, Samsuri had, with awareness, made a post with pictures stating that Perikatan Nasional (PN) warned that the King would be dethroned if he did not remove Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (as the prime minister).
Samsuri made the posting on Aug 13 last year at 5.33pm, which was read by a complainant at 9pm on the same day, in Bukit Bintang here.
The complainant, who was angry and hurt by the posting, lodged a police report.
Samsuri's handphone, from which he has access to the Facebook account and made the posting, was subsequently seized by the police.
The charge is punishable under Section 233(3) of the same Act, which carries the maximum RM50,000 fine or jail not more than one year or both, upon conviction.
Samsuri, who was unrepresented, pleaded for a light sentence as he was supporting his mother, wife and four school-going children.
"I am the son of a Felda settler. My income is unstable and this is my first offence," he said.
Deputy public prosecutor Nurilya Ellyna Nor Azmal asked the court for a deterrent sentence as Samsuri's post had clearly threatened the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
"His act was very inappropriate and it does not reflect loyalty and respect to the King.
"We ask for an appropriate sentence so that he and the society will not take lightly the use of social media," she said.
On Aug 16 last year, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigations Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the man was arrested in Bera and remanded for four days.