Clerk jailed two years for supporting terror groups

KUALA LUMPUR: A clerk of a concrete production factory was jailed two years by the High Court here for having 84 images related to terrorism, Islamic State (IS), al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

Rafidah Juma’ at was jailed by Judicial Commissioner Mohamad Shariff Abu Samah after she changed her plea.

JC Mohamad Shariff instructed the sentence to run from March 24, the day Rafidah was detained.

In sentencing, he said although there were no facts revealing that Rafidah, 25, would join the terrorist groups, the images in the handphone showed the accused supported the groups.

“Having items related to terrorist groups is an offence and you should be more careful. I hope you will repent,” he said yesterday.

Rafidah was charged with possessing 84 images related to IS, JI and al-Qaeda in her laptop, and books related to JI, IS and al-Qaeda entitled Daulah Islam bukan Khawarij and Tarbiyah Jihadiyah at a house in Taman Bistari Air Tawar, Manjung, Perak, at 8.45am on March 24.

She was accused under Section 139JB (1)(a) of the Penal Code.

Earlier in mitigation, Rafidah’s counsel PA Sharon said her client wanted to continue working at the factory in Manjung and promised not to repeat the offence.

Sharon said Rafidah was the fourth child of seven siblings and her mother suffered from hypertension, while her father had died.

Based on the facts of the case, Rafidah was nabbed by police at a petrol pump in Bandar Sri Manjung Selatan, Sri Manjung, and her handbag was seized.

Police found three handphones, a purse, an identity card, a driving licence, an ATM card and two Poslaju receipts in her handbag.

Her laptop containing the images and books was also seized.