KUALA LUMPUR: A counselling teacher could only shed tears after he was sentenced to seven years’ jail by the High Court here today for supporting Daesh and keeping pictures of the terror group two years ago.
Razis Awang, 32, who was clad in a checked shirt and jeans, earlier appeared cheerful, chatting with his friends and family members but broke into tears upon being surrounded and hugged by them after he received the sentence.
Judge Datuk Azman Abdullah passed the sentence on the accused, a guidance and counselling teacher at a secondary school, after the defence failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
In his judgment, Azman advised the accused not to repeat his mistakes and hoped that he had learned a lesson with the custodial sentence passed by the court.
“As a teacher, you are supposed to be the first person to be aware of this matter (terrorism) but unfortunately, you have been found guilty of what you did.
“Besides this (jail) sentence, I believe you will also be punished with losing your job as a teacher. This is a punishment which should have an impact on you and all other parties to repent and stay away from terror activities,” the judge said.
The court sentenced the accused to seven years’ jail for giving support to the Daesh terror group and two years for possessing images of the group, with the two sentences to run concurrently from the date of his arrest, March 30, 2016.
Earlier, in mitigation, lawyer Syahredzan Johan who was representing the accused, urged the court to consider the accused’s good services as a teacher and that he had never spread the terror ideology but only gave support the “baiah” (pledge) via the Telegram application and did not openly show support including via the social media.
Deputy public prosecutor Munirah Shamsudin @ Baharum asked for a heavy sentence against the accused as the offences committed by him could threaten national security while the case went through a full hearing starting last March, with 11 prosecution and two defence witnesses called to testify.
On July 7 last year, Razis pleaded not guilty to the charge of knowingly giving support through “baiah” to the Daesh terror group, whereby he had used the name Razis in the “gagak hitam” Telegram application. The offence was committed at Lorong Senangin 2/3, Taman Senangin, Kulim, Kedah at 8.11am on March 30, 2016.
Razis was charged under Section 130J (1)(a) of the Penal Code which provides for a life sentence or up to 30 years in jail, or a fine, and the confiscation of assets used or meant to be used in committing the offence.
He was also charged with possessing six images relating to the terror group in his mobile phone and three images in his laptop.
The offence under Section 130JB (1)(a) of the Penal Code, committed at the same place at 7.20pm on Sept 28, 2016, carries a jail term of up to seven years and confiscation of any of the items involved. — Bernama
