KUALA LUMPUR: Two people were each fined RM3,000 - in default of one month’s jail - at the Sessions Court here for posting a false statement related to halal and non-halal frozen meat being stored together.
Mohd Azrul Alwin Mohd Yusoff, a 32-year-old engineer; and Ainin Syazwani Che Mat Noordin, a 22-year-old undergraduate, had posted the false news using Facebook, which was related to last year’s seizure of four 30-tonne containers that stored halal and non-halal frozen meat together.
Azrul had claimed that the meat from the containers may have been distributed to supermarkets and restaurants, while Ainin had erroneously claimed that only four out of 74 containers were seized by the authorities.
The two were accused of using their respective accounts ‘Rul Yusoff’ and ‘Ann Syzwni’, to knowingly spread the false news to cause public alarm at 9.53am and 7.48am on July 20 and July 21, 2017, respectively.
The comments were detected by a member of the public at Starbucks Aeon Alpha Angle, Bandar Baru Wangsa Maju here at 10am on Aug 1, 2017. He lodged a complaint.
The Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Service (MAQIS) later established that it was fake news.
The offence falls under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, punishable under Section 233(3) of the same Act which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or jail up to a year, or both, and can also be additionally fined RM1,000 for each day the offence continued to be committed post-conviction.
Judge Zaman Mohd Noor meted out the sentences against both the accused after they pleaded guilty to the charge.
In mitigation, Azrul who was unrepresented, said he need to support his ailing parents in Kelantan and had just become engaged.
“I did not know the news was fake. I uploaded the post to warn my fellow Muslims,” he said.
Ainin, who was also unrepresented, said she came from poor family and just started working part-time.
“I am very remorseful and promise not to repeat my actions,” she said.
Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission prosecuting officer, Norhani Mohd Adzhar, however, pressed for a deterrent sentence, stating that the case involved public interest.