Siti Nuramira fined RM8,000 after pleading guilty to alternative charge
17 Apr 2023 05:04pm
Siti Nuramira
Judge N. Priscilla Hemamalini pronounced the sentence after Siti Nuramira, 27, plead guilty to an alternative charge of deliberately wounding the religious feelings of others during her stand-up comedy act.
She allegedly committed the offense at Crackhouse Comedy Crackhouse in Taman Tun Dr Ismail here at 6 pm, June 4, 2022, under Section 298 of the Penal Code.
The court also ordered the accused to be sentenced to four months jail if she failed to pay the fine. The accused paid the fine.
The defense was to have carried out the cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness, Muhammad Asyraf Kamal Musthaffa, today but deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob informed the court that the prosecution had offered an alternative charge under Section 298 of the Penal Code to the accused.
"The prosecution is offering the alternative charge after the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) received the accused’s representation on March 16,” Abdul Malik said, and urged that the sentence imposed on the accused should reflect the case’s seriousness, as her actions had gained public attention.
"Even though the sentence under Section 298 is lower, it does not mean the offence is not serious.
"Malaysia is a multiracial and multicultural country, and to protect its harmony, no one should deliberately hurt the feelings of followers of any religion. The accused can carry out a performance without referring to any religion because religion should not be used as material for jokes,” he said.
Lawyer R. Sivaraj, representing Siti Nuramira, sought a lighter fine on the basis that his client had no previous criminal record.
"The accused’s guilty plea today saves the court’s time and costs. After my client was charged in court, she never performed any comedy act or anything related to the offence, she does not have a social media account, has kept to herself and not courted other controversies.
"This case has become a hot topic till it went viral last year. This has caused a drastic change in the accused’s lifestyle personally, mentally and socially.
"Her experiences in being arrested, remanded in lock up and jailed for around 10 days are more than enough as a lesson to her,” the lawyer said, adding that his client has repented and apologised over her actions. - BERNAMA
