A public university student was fined RM10,000 by the Sessions Court today after pleading guilty to selling pornographic content for commercial purposes last year.
Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman handed down the sentence against Muhammad Aidil Akmal Azhar, 24, after the accused admitted to the offence. The court also ordered him to serve six months in jail if he fails to pay the fine — which he has since settled.
Aidil was charged with committing the offence through his account ‘@sanomanji89’ at a residence in Shah Alam, Selangor, at around 10.45 p.m. on March 1, 2024. The obscene content was later viewed at a condominium in Kuala Lumpur at 11 a.m. on April 4, 2024.
The charge was framed under Section 233(2)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, and punishable under Subsection 233(3) of the same Act — which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison, a RM50,000 fine, or both, along with an additional RM1,000 fine per day if the offence continues.
Investigations revealed that Aidil had used the Telegram account ‘@cocomelon87’ to distribute pornographic videos for profit, receiving RM100 in payment for the content.
According to case facts, a digital forensics officer from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was instructed to act as an undercover agent and contacted the accused via direct message to purchase a pornographic video titled “Promo July24”. Payment was made via Touch ‘n Go top-up code, after which Aidil provided a Telegram link to access the video.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Fadhli Ab Wahab from MCMC urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, emphasizing that such offences threaten public morality and exploit social media for profit.
“Uploading and selling obscene material not only goes against our cultural and religious values but also poses psychological harm to society,” he said.
Defence lawyer Sabrina Mohammad, however, pleaded for leniency, stating that her client was young, had just completed his industrial training, and had no stable income.
“The accused relies entirely on his parents, who earn around RM3,200 monthly. He is also a PTPTN loan holder, with a chronically ill sibling and another who is disabled (OKU),” she told the court.
