A housewife was fined RM10,000 by the Sessions Court here on Thursday after pleading guilty to posting a false and defamatory statement about the Governor of Sabah on Facebook, in connection with the death of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir last July.
Judge Marlina Ibrahim imposed the fine on 32-year-old Asmaziah Sedek and ordered that she serve two months in prison if she fails to pay the penalty.
Asmaziah was accused of knowingly creating and transmitting false communications via her Facebook account “Ash Qiey” with the intent to harass others at 9:21 p.m. on 29 July.
The post was read by the Governor of Sabah’s Secretary, Abdullah Hussin, at the Governor’s residence, Sri Anggerik, Luyang, at 10 a.m. on 31 July.
The charge was made under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which carries a maximum penalty under Section 233(2) of a fine up to RM500,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both, if convicted.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Eugenie Meredith Gilbert requested a heavy sentence to serve as a warning, as the accused had spread false news involving the Governor of Sabah.
Asmaziah, who was unrepresented, pleaded for a lighter sentence, saying she is unemployed, her husband only recently found work, and she lives far from him and her children.
“I hope my fine can be reduced as I have an eight-month-old breastfeeding child and another child attending primary school,” she said.
