IPOH: A freelance graphic artist was sentenced to a month’s jail and fined RM30,000 by the Sessions Court here today for uploading a clown sketch of the prime minister on his Facebook account two years ago.
Bernama reported that Judge Norashima Khalid handed down the sentence on Mohd Fahmi Reza Mohd Zarin, 40, after finding that the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case at the end of the defence case.
However, it said the court allowed a stay of the sentence pending an appeal in the High Court and Fahmi was allowed bail of RM10,000 with one surety.
On June 10, 2016, Fahmi was charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act with posting a poster depicting Datuk Seri Najib Razak in clown face along with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) logo.
He was accused of posting the image on his Facebook page on Feb 8, 2016 at Seraya Sdn Bhd, Batu 3, Jalan Jelapang here.
Reuters reported Fahmi was found guilty for spreading online content deemed "obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person".
He also faced a second similar charge in a separate court.
It was reported that deputy public prosecutors Mohd Sophian Zakaria and Nazrul Nizam Zameri from the MCMC prosecuted, while Fahmi was represented by counsel Syahredzuan Johan.
Earlier in mitigation, Syahredzuan asked the court to impose a fine of RM10,000 as it was his client’s first offence.
However, Mohd Sophian said the court should not sympathise with the accused because he realised the implication of his action.