THE Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today fined an unemployed man RM8,000 for posting offensive remarks on Facebook against former minister Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri last year.

Judge M.M. Edwin Paramjothy meted the sentence on Lim Eng Seng, after he changed his plea to guilty during the mention of the case today.

The court also ordered the 44-year-old man to serve six months in jail if he failed to pay the fine.

Lim was charged with consciously making and initiating offensive communications against the former leader with the intent to annoy others through the NTV7 Facebook page.

The posting was read in a house at Jalan Pantai Permai, 8, Pantai Dalam, Brickfields at 4pm on May 14 last year.

The offence, under section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, carries a maximum fine of RM50,000, a maximum jail term of one year or both and a further fine of RM1,000 for each day the offence is continued.

According to the facts of the case, a complainant lodged a police report on the seditious comments insulting Islam during a Facebook live by Zulkifli during a press conference on allowing the Muslims to perform Friday prayers beginning May 15, 2020.

At the same court, a woman claimed trial to the charge of posting offensive comments against Christianity in March this year.

Wan Asshima Kamaruddin, 37, was charged under section 233(1)(a) of the same Act for knowingly making and initiating offensive communications with the intent to hurt other people on her Facebook profile, Puteri Mujahidah Wan Asshima Kamaruddin at 9.23am on March 11.

The Facebook post was read at the Cyber Crimes and Multimedia Investigation Division, Commercial Crime Investigation Department, Bukit Aman police headquarters at 6.24pm on March 13.

The court set bail for Wan Asshima at RM4,000, with one surety, and fixed January 10 next year for mention. – Bernama, December 6, 2021.