KUALA LUMPUR: A security guard cried after being sentenced to one and a half years in prison for possessing books and videos, painting a flag, and writing an article linked to the Islamic State terrorist (IS) group.
Muhamad Norulaini Supardi, 34, who pleaded guilty to four charges linked to IS, profusely thanked High Court judge K. Muniandy.
The judge said he factored in Norulaini's guilty plea, his remorse and his participation in rehabilitation programmes while in prison.
Muniandy ordered Norulaini to serve the sentence from the date of his arrest on June 23 concurrently for all four charges and advised him to continue with the rehabilitation programme.
Earlier, Norulaini, who self mitigated, made a tearful plea to have a lenient sentence as he was supporting his family.
"Good afternoon Your Honour. I plead to have my sentence lightened. I have five children. One had died in August when I was in prison.
"I am the head of my family. My wife is not working and I am supporting my family.
"I am repentant. In prison, I attend rehabilitation programmes led by an 'ustaz'. This taught me a lot about protecting the country's security and harmony and preventing the spread of IS' ideology.
"I regret my actions as it impacted my family and my children were neglected (as a result).
"I do not want to do it again. This IS ideology has ruined my family," he said.
Deputy public prosecutor Nur Ainaa Ridzwan asked the court to impose a deterrent sentence to serve as a lesson to the accused.
"This case involves a security offence. A report by an expert clearly stated that these IS materials could lead the country to chaos.
"These items are dangerous and can erode the democratic system if people are influenced by it.
"The prosecution submits that we can see how obsessed this accused was with these materials, which enabled him to write an article on the IS ideology," she said.
According to a report, an expert who had analysed the materials had found them to have subversive elements that can potentially instil hatred and affect the country's wellbeing.
In July, Norulaini pleaded guilty to three charges under Section 130JB(1)(a) of the Penal Code and one under Section 130JB(1)(b).
On all charges, he was accused of possessing three books, a painting of an IS flag, possessing videos and authoring an article linked to IS at 9.25am at a house in Kajang, Selangor, on June 23.