TRADER GETS JAIL FOR FB TERROR POST

Convict an active Islamic State supporter based on items seized from him, court told

A28-YEAR-OLD trader will spend Hari Raya Aidilfitri behind bars after he was sentenced to 30 months’ jail by the High Court here yesterday for displaying terrorist propaganda on his Facebook account, three

years ago.

Muhd Syahir Muhammad Nordin was ordered to serve the sentence from the date of his arrest on Nov 19, after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

In passing the sentence, judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali said offences linked to terrorist groups were serious as they posed a threat to national security.

He said the punishment was to serve as a warning to the public about such offences and to prevent such cases from recurring.

“I hope the accused realises the need to be more careful to not get involved in activities against the law, especially if it relates to violence and terrorism,” he said.

According to the charge, Syahir had displayed items related to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group on his Facebook profile.

The offence was committed at the E8 Counter Terrorism Division, 33rd floor, Menara 2, federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman, here, on June 13, 2016.

The charge under Section 130(JB)(1)(d) of the Penal Code carries a maximum of seven years’ jail or a fine.

Earlier, counsel Farida Mohammad, who represented Syahir, pleaded for leniency, saying that he did not realise what he did was an offence.

“He received formal and religious education, but dropped out of school,” she said.

However, deputy public prosecutor Aslinda Ahad urged for a jail sentence, saying the offence involved national security and was related to extremism.

The court heard that based on expert analysis, Syahir was an active IS supporter and was entrenched in the radicalisation process.

The analysis was done based on the items and documents belonging to him.

Through his Facebook postings, it was evident that he had been influenced by IS-related materials, was sympathetic to its ideologies and helped disseminate its propaganda, the analysis report revealed.