A 27-year-old woman was fined RM25 after pleading guilty to insulting and damaging the image of the wife of a Sabah state assemblyman through WhatsApp messages and offensive online comments.
The accused, Luisa Luis, entered the guilty plea after the charge was read before Magistrate Wan Farrah Farriza Wan Ghazali at the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Luisa, who is currently unemployed, admitted to committing the offence against Siti Noor Liyana Abd Latif Beldram, 37, a housewife and the wife of Pintasan State Assemblyman Datuk Fairuz Renddan.
The court imposed a RM25 fine under Section 8(1)(b) of the Minor Offences Ordinance and reminded the accused not to repeat the offence in the future. While the penalty was minimal, the court’s warning highlighted the importance of maintaining respectful communication, particularly on digital platforms.
Luisa was represented by lawyer Datuk Ram Singh, while Siti Noor Liyana was represented by Khalid Murshidi.
Previous Similar Offence
In a related development, Luisa had earlier been fined the same amount on February 27 for a similar offence. The initial charge under Section 506 of the Penal Code was later reduced to Section 8(1)(b) of the Minor Offences Ordinance, which carries a maximum fine of RM25.
The charge was linked to a death threat allegedly made by Luisa against Siti Noor Liyana.
Earlier Convictions In 2024
Court records also show that Luisa had previously faced legal action for similar conduct.
On June 10, 2024, she was fined RM5,000 by the Sessions Court under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 after pleading guilty to posting offensive remarks about Fairuz — who also serves as Sabah’s Local Government and Housing Minister — in the comment section of his Facebook page on April 30.
On the same date, the Magistrate’s Court also fined her RM3,000 under Section 509 of the Penal Code after she admitted to insulting Fairuz’s modesty by using abusive language through WhatsApp on April 6.
The series of cases highlights the legal consequences of abusive online behaviour, with authorities continuing to remind the public that digital communications are subject to the same laws governing harassment and defamation.
