Man gets 18 months’ jail for having I.S. materials
KUALA LUMPUR: A labourer was sentenced to 18 months’ jail by the High Court for possessing terrorist propaganda materials, including images and videos related to the Islamic State (IS) militant group.
Mohd Al-Arshy Mus Budiono, 24, was sentenced after he changed his plea to guilty to the offence today before judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.
In sentencing, Nazlan advised the accused not to be involved in activities that were against the country’s laws, especially those related to terrorism.
“Offences related to terrorism are serious as they can threaten national security and the parliamentary democracy system.”
The court ordered the accused, who is from East Java, to serve his jail time from the date of his arrest on Jan 17.
According to the charge, Al-Arshy had in his possession five images and nine videos related to IS in his mobilephone.
He committed the offence at Restoran Klasik Hijau, Jalan Awan Hijau, Taman Overseas Union in Brickfields, here about 3pm on Jan 17.
The charge under Section 130JB(1)(a) of the Penal Code carries a maximum seven years’ jail or fine and a possible forfeiture of the items, if convicted.
Deputy public prosecutor Munirah Shamsudin @ Baharum urged the court to impose a sentence that would serve as a lesson to the accused.
In pleading for leniency, counsel Zaini Bakar, who represented Al-Arshy, said her client, who was the eldest in his family was supporting his four siblings who are schooling and live with their grandmother in East Java.
She said Al-Arshy came to Malaysia when he was 18 to earn a better living and did not know what he did was an offence.
“He kept the images for his personal viewing and not to influence others,” she said.