Elderly Man Jailed Six Months After Failing To Pay Fine For False Post

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 25 (Bernama) – Johari Ismail, 67, has been sentenced to six months in prison after failing to pay a RM30,000 fine for posting false content about the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the 268th Conference of Rulers on his Facebook.

In a statement, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said that Johari will serve his sentence at Kajang Prison, starting today.

The offence took place on Feb 8, when Johari shared a post falsely claiming that the Conference of Rulers had voted to take action against the government over its handling of an additional document related to former Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s case.

Johari, charged under Section 233 (1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, was apprehended last night, with the court issuing an arrest warrant after he failed to attend proceedings.

At the Sepang Sessions Court, Johari appeared without legal representation while the prosecution was led by MCMC Deputy Public Prosecutor Faten Hadni Khairuddin.

Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman advised Johari, a father of four, to consider the consequences of his actions, noting that such posts damage both the government's reputation and the Royal Institution.

The commission’s investigation team had identified the false post on Feb 9 at 12.59 pm at the MCMC Tower 1 in Cyberjaya.

-- BERNAMA