Forex trader gets jail, fine for offensive posting against PM

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Mohd Nasaruddin Saron

KUALA LUMPUR: A foreign exchange (forex) trader was sentenced to one day’s jail and fined RM4,000 by the Sessions Court here yesterday after he pleaded guilty to insulting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak via his Facebook account last October.

Judge Zaman Mohd Noor also ordered Mohd Nasaruddin Saron, 41, to serve another two months in jail should he fail to settle the fine.

Mohd Nasaruddin had consciously used his Facebook account under ‘Nasaruddin Saron’ to make and post a status deemed offensive with intention to insult another person at 7.25am on Oct 26 last year.

The posting was then read by a complainant at No. A-1110, Level 11, Menara A, Pandan Kapital, Jalan Pandan Utama, Pandan Indah here about 6.20pm the next day.

Mohd Nasaruddin, from Kota Tinggi, Johor, was charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities for communications that are deemed offensive, false or obscene, among others.

The offence is punishable with a fine not exceeding RM50,000, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both. ‘

An additional fine of RM1,000 per day is also imposed for each day the offence is continued upon conviction.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Mohd Sophian Zakaria from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) asked for a jail sentence and fine to be imposed on Mohd Nasaruddin, as the offence had become rampant in the country and the offensive remarks were uncalled for.

“He (Mohd Nasaruddin) had come out with the insulting words on the country’s leader. Despite political differences, he should have not issued such words,” he said.

Mohd Nasaruddin, who was unrepresented, pleaded for a lighter sentence as this was his first offence.

According to the facts of the case, the complainant felt angry and hurt after reading the posting as the words being used were uncalled for.

The complainant then lodged a report to MCMC. — Bernama