A 35-year-old unemployed man was sentenced to three months in prison after pleading guilty to five charges involving insulting and threatening posts against members of the Terengganu royal family on X.
Sessions Court Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman imposed the sentence on Azman Hakim Hassanuddin after he admitted to all five charges, which were brought under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
The court heard that Azman had made and initiated the transmission of communications deemed extremely offensive and threatening through his X account on Feb 19. Four of the charges involved offensive communications allegedly intended to annoy or hurt others, while another concerned a threatening communication allegedly intended to intimidate.
The posts were detected by an officer from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) at about 6.30pm on Feb 20 at Level 8, Menara MCMC 1, Jalan Impact, Cyber 6, Cyberjaya, Sepang, Selangor.
If convicted under Section 233(2) of the same Act, an offender may face a fine of up to RM500,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both. An additional fine of RM5,000 may also be imposed for every day the offence continues after conviction.
In delivering his decision, Ahmad Fuad stressed that offences involving the three sensitive areas of race, religion and royalty (3R) must be treated seriously because of their potential impact on society. He said insulting religion or race could trigger anger among affected communities, while attacks against the royal institution could undermine its dignity and standing.
“Respecting our rulers means protecting them and placing them in high regard,” he said, adding that such actions could lower the dignity of the royal institution.
Azman, who was unrepresented, had appealed for a lighter sentence, telling the court that he depended on medical treatment and medication for a psychiatric condition.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Fadhli Ab Wahab informed the court that a report from Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta dated Aug 10 found Azman fit to stand trial and capable of defending himself.
The prosecution had urged the court to impose an appropriate maximum sentence by taking into account the public interest and the impact of the offences on the victim, saying a deterrent punishment was necessary to prevent similar incidents.
The case highlights the potential consequences of using social media to publish communications involving sensitive issues, particularly when such content is deemed offensive or threatening under Malaysian law.
