Man pleads guilty to posting offensive comment on Perak sultan

Ariff Zulkarnain Ameer Imam was charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for the improper use of network facilities.
PETALING JAYA : A former information technology officer at a media agency pleaded guilty in the Ipoh sessions court today to a charge of posting an offensive comment on social media regarding a decree by Perak's Sultan Nazrin Shah in February.
Utusan Malaysia reported that Ariff Zulkarnain Ameer Imam, 50, entered his plea after the charge against him was read before judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi.
He was accused of knowingly posting a comment on an article on the Harian Metro Facebook page about Sultan Nazrin via the Facebook account of 'Ariff Zulkarnain Mohd. Imam'.
The comment was sighted at the complaints counter of the Ipoh police headquarters at 5.45pm on Feb 25.
The charge was under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for the improper use of network facilities, punishable under Section 233(3) of the same Act.
Ariff faces a fine of up to RM50,000, up to two years' imprisonment and an additional RM5,000 fine for every day the offence continues after conviction.
The prosecution was led by deputy public prosecutors Nasrul Hadi Abdul Ghani and Nurul Hidayu Zakaria, while Ariff was represented by National Legal Aid Foundation lawyer M Saravanan.
Nasrul Hadi proposed bail of RM30,000 with two sureties and the additional condition that Ariff report to a nearby police station every month and surrender his passport to the court.
Saravanan requested the minimum bail, saying his client was fired for his offence and does not have a fixed income.
Meor Sulaiman set bail at RM10,000 with one surety, ordered Ariff to surrender his passport to the court until the case is complete, and set July 30 for sentencing.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Free Malaysia Today

4 hours ago

• Free Malaysia Today

Lower courts must follow apex court precedents, says CJ

Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat elaborated on the Federal Court's 40-page judgment which held that a fatwa could not be imposed on an organisation like Sisters in Islam as such entities cannot 'profess' a religion. PUTRAJAYA : Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat has reminded judges in the lower courts that they must adhere to legal precedents set by the Federal Court unless overruled by a subsequent decision from the same court. 'These precedents are binding, and failure to follow them is an affront to the administration of our justice system,' she said in a majority judgment delivered yesterday. The judgment held that a fatwa could not be imposed on an organisation like Sisters in Islam (SIS) as such entities cannot 'profess' a religion. Women's rights group SIS yesterday succeeded in its appeal to the Federal Court to quash a 2014 fatwa issued against it by the Selangor religious authorities. SIS had sought to quash a 2014 fatwa by the Selangor Islamic religious council (Mais) that it had deviated from the teachings of Islam by purportedly subscribing to 'liberalism' and 'religious pluralism'. In allowing SIS's appeal, Tengku Maimun said, the majority accepted the appellants' argument that the Court of Appeal had failed to apply the principle of stare decisis by wrongly attempting to distinguish the case from an earlier decision in SIS Forum (1) without any sound legal basis. Three years ago, a nine-member Federal Court bench led by Tengku Maimun unanimously ruled that it was unconstitutional for the Selangor legislative assembly to grant judicial review powers to the state's shariah high court. In that ruling, the bench also reaffirmed a 1998 apex court decision (Kesultanan Pahang v Sathask Realty Sdn Bhd) which held that corporations cannot profess a religion. 'Consistent with our guidance to the lower courts, we are fully inclined to uphold stare decisis and to follow the precedent established in SIS Forum (1) and Kesultanan Pahang,' she said in the 40-page judgment. Two years ago, the Court of Appeal dismissed SIS's challenge to the fatwa, which claimed that the women's group espoused liberalism and religious pluralism and had deviated from Islamic teachings. In a 2-1 decision, the appellate court concluded that the legal principle established in SIS Forum (1) was merely obiter dicta – a passing judicial remark not binding as precedent. However, Tengku Maimun refuted this, saying that the Federal Court's reasoning in SIS Forum (1) was not obiter dicta, but formed a core part of the court's legal reasoning. The court had held that Section 66A of the Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003 was unconstitutional. She further noted that the earlier nine-member bench had ruled that shariah courts cannot conceptually exercise judicial review over artificial persons, such as corporate entities, even if they identify with Islam. Tengku Maimun, Court of Appeal president Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Justice Nallini Pathmanathan formed the majority in yesterday's ruling while Justice Abu Bakar Jais dissented. SIS, a company limited by guarantee and incorporated under the Companies Act 1965, argued that the fatwa was unconstitutional and could not be applied to a corporate entity governed by civil law.

Malay Mail

4 hours ago

• Malay Mail

As police look on, student demonstraters take to KK streets to call for reform (VIDEO)

KOTA KINABALU, June 21 — The steady beating of drums and rousing chants calling for clean governance could be heard throughout Kota Kinabalu's central business district streets today, as a student-led anti-corruption demonstration walked the streets escorted by uniformed policemen. It's a rare sight for most as such protests, complete with megaphones, banners, placards and signs, are usually not allowed by authorities and limited to restricted areas. A group of some 100 or so people consisting mostly of students from University Malaysia Sabah and civic society gathered in front of the Suria Sabah shopping mall for the second edition of its Gempur Rasuah Sabah rally. Unlike the first time they had their rally where they marched from UMS to the state administrative building along a busy highway before they were stopped, the police presence this time was much more congenial, without the Light Strike Force unit or heavy arms — mostly helping keep public order on the busy roads. The police had approved their gathering on June 18 with the caveat they adhered to certain rules. Students and civil society groups accompanied by policemen took to the streets of Kota Kinabalu calling for clean and fair governance, transparency and a solution to their water shortage issue. — Picture by Julia Chan 'It's quite good to see this. It's a normal part of democracy and freedom of expression. It's good to see the police presence and actually helping them. No guns, no attacks, no abuse or disorderly conduct. 'I think it's good for the government to allow this to happen,' said Datuk Ahmad Abdul Rahman, Sabah's former State Assembly speaker who was passing by in the vicinity when he saw the commotion. Many motorists who passed by the group also honked their horns in solidarity with the group. Organised by student coalition Suara Mahasiswa, the Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0 rally participants carried signs denouncing corruption, calling for action against certain politicians and also demanding the authorities solve the water shortage issue which has been plaguing the university for months. The group left the mall entrance at around 2.30pm and walked towards the main market, when it started pouring. Stopping briefly to put on raincoats, they continued their march towards Centre Point shopping centre before ending up at Lintasan Deasoka near Gaya Street, where organisers have announced plans for a 24-hour sit-in. A passerby, former Sabah state assembly speaker Datuk Ahmad Abdul Rahman said such peaceful demonstrations was a sign of a healthy democracy. — Picture by Julia Chan A minor blip occurred when the group came across some people holding up a banner depicting an opposition political party. Some tension occurred between the two groups but was quickly dismissed with the help of police. Its leader Muhammad Fadhli Muhammad Kasim said that the students did not want to have any political connections. He also called for specific action from authorities, including investigations into alleged misconduct involving the Sabah Water Department (JANS) that had led to their water issue, a fully autonomous Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in the state, and investigation into the appointment of the state governor. Not one kilometre away, another smaller, less lively group calling themselves Gerakan Anak Muda dan Mahasiswa Anak Sabah (Gammas), held a demonstration lasting less than 30 minutes at Chong Tien Vun park. Claiming to be students of the university, their spokesperson Noridi @ Noraidi Maya insisted their gathering is not a counter-rally, but to express solidarity with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and 'defend the integrity of the government' after the many beneficial policies and provisions for students. Gammas's gathering did not obtain police approval but the gathering remained peaceful throughout. They dispersed shortly after reading out their mission statement to the media.

Malay Mail

5 hours ago

• Malay Mail

Police probe bullying case at Klang school after toilet assault video goes viral

SHAH ALAM, June 21 — Police have launched an investigation into a bullying incident involving a female student in the toilet of a secondary school in Klang. Klang Utara police chief ACP S Vijaya Rao said the incident came to light after a video of the assault went viral on social media. A police report was lodged at 12.53pm today. 'Police take all forms of bullying seriously, especially when it involves students. Firm action will be taken to ensure public safety and maintain order. The motive behind the altercation is still under investigation,' he said in a statement. Vijaya also urged the public not to spread speculation or unfounded claims that could cause public anxiety. 'Anyone with information on the incident is urged to contact Inspector Mohamad Izroy Kamarulzaman at 014-818 3519 to assist in the investigation,' he added. The case is being investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt. The two-minute video shows a female student surrounded by a group of girls inside a toilet. She is questioned before being slapped and struck on the body. — Bernama