A university student pleaded not guilty at the Kuantan Sessions Court in Pahang on Tuesday to two charges, including desecrating the Quran and posting offensive content on social media.
The accused, 21-year-old S. Vikneswaran, a student at Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), entered his plea before Judge Harmi Thamri Mohamad after the charges were read.
Under the first charge, he allegedly stepped on the Quran knowing that his actions would insult Islam, an offence under Section 295 of the Penal Code.
For the second charge, he is accused of creating and posting offensive communications intended to hurt others via the Threads app, under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Section 295 of the Penal Code carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both. Section 233(1)(a) allows for a fine of up to RM500,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both, if convicted.
Vikneswaran was arrested on February 25 to assist with investigations after being suspected of desecrating the Quran.
