JOHOR BARU: A 56-year-old petty trader pleaded guilty at the Session’s Court here for posting inflammatory and disrespectful statements about the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on X, in December 2024.
Judge Hazeelia Muhammad sentenced a RM3,000 fine, in default six months’ jail, on Zaidi Mat Sah, after hearing the plea on Wednesday (Jan 8).
He was charged with uploading a post that was said to be seditious in nature, disrespecting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and tarnishing the image of the royal institution.
According to the fact sheet, the post was seen by a complainant on Dec 29 2024.
The complainant believed the post to be seditious, involving remarks that disrespected the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Subsequently, a police report was filed at the Seri Alam Police Station the following day.
On Dec 30 2024, at approximately 7pm, a police team from the Seri Alam District Police Headquarters arrested the suspect in Johor Baru. They seized a blue mobile phone with a SIM card, which was believed to have been used to access the social media account.
Forensic analysis of the phone confirmed that the offending social media account belonged to the accused. Further intelligence and social media analysis by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) corroborated these findings, verifying the ownership of the account.
The post was made through the X account at 5.45am on Dec 29, 2024.
The act was committed at a house in Jalan Sutera Kuning 2, Taman Sutera, Johor Baru.
The charge was framed under Section 4(1)(a) of the Sedition Act 1948, which carries a fine of up to RM5,000, a maximum three-year prison sentence, or both, upon conviction.
The case was prosecuted by Johor state prosecution director Abdul Ghafar Abd Latif while the accused was not represented.
Earlier, during the proceeding, Abdul Ghafar requested a heavier penalty for the accused due to the severity of his action as a lesson not only to Zaidi but also to other members of the public.
Zaidi, in mitigation, requested a lighter penalty and hoped that he would not be jailed, as he is taking care of his wife, child, and elderly mother, besides siblings who are OKU.
“I am sorry for my mistake; I was not the one who created the post but only reposted the statement. I am not aware that the statement involved 3R (race, religion, and royalty) sentiments, and I regretted my action,” he said.
The accused paid the fine.
