Jobless man slapped with RM7,000 fine for calling for rally via Twitter

KUALA LUMPUR – An unemployed man who posted about the “Saturday riot?! TURUN!” on Twitter calling for a rally in July, last year, was fined RM7,000 by the Sessions Court, here, today.

Judge Nor Hasniah Ab Razak handed down the sentence to Muhammad Nur Taufiq Azhar, 27, as the person being summoned (OKS) after he pleaded guilty to the offence.

The court ordered Muhammad Nur Taufiq to serve six months in jail if he failed to pay the fine.

According to the charge sheet, the OKS had made and initiated the transmission of a posting, “Saturday riot?! TURUN!” with intent to threaten or annoy others via the "Tulangkata @ tul4ng" Twitter account at 4.44pm on July 13, 2021.

The posting was read at the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department office here, at 10.15am the next day.

The charge under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and punishable under Section 233 (3) of the same law, carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment for up to one year, or both, and can also be fined RM1,000 for each day the offence continues after conviction, if found guilty.

During the proceedings, Muhammad Nur Taufiq, who was unrepresented pleaded for leniency saying that he did not have a job.

"I admit that I wrote the tweet and now realise that it was wrong,” he said.

However, deputy public prosecutor Najihah Farhana Che Awang urged for a deterrent sentence to be imposed as the tweet uploaded by the OKS was seen as a form of threat.

"The call inviting the public to gather seems to discredit the efforts of the frontliners, especially the Health Ministry in saving the lives of Covid-19 patients.

“As of July 14, 2021, the post received over 1,800 tweets and the gathering took place on July 17, 2021," he said.