Retiree fined RM5,000 over offensive FB post

A retiree was fined RM5,000 by the Sessions Court here for posting offensive comments on the import of meat on his Facebook page with intent to offend others two months ago.

Judge Zainal L. Saleh sentenced Kamarzaman Mustafa, 56, to a month in jail if he failed to pay the fine.

Kamarzaman settled the fine yesterday.

Zainal said the court took into consideration that Kamarzaman pleaded guilty to the charge and his health problems.

He said the posting had gone viral and advised Kamarzaman not to repeat the offence.

“You did not post an apology that may have enabled the court to consider as a mitigating factor,” he said.

Kamarzaman was charged with voluntarily making the posting with intent to offend others on his Facebook page at 12.53am on July 19, under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588).

In asking for leniency, Kamarzaman said he suffered from hypertension, diabetes and gout, and needed to go to hospital every week.

Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) deputy public prosecutor Norhani Mohd Adzhar urged the court to mete out a deterrent sentence in view of public interest after several reports on the post were made.

The statement of facts revealed that at about 10am on Aug 1 the complainant read the comment at Starbucks restaurant, AEON Alpha Angle shopping complex in Bandar Baru Wangsa Maju here.

The complainant lodged a report to the MCMC on Aug 2 and initial investigations showed that the comment was uploaded by Facebook account holder YB Kamarzaman at 12.53am on July 19.

You did not post an apology that may have enabled the court to consider as a mitigating factor.

Judge Zainal L. Saleh