SEPANG: A public university student was fined RM10,000 in default of six months’ jail by the Sessions Court here today after pleading guilty to selling pornographic content for commercial purposes last year.
Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman imposed the sentence on Muhammad Aidil Akmal Azhar, 24, in accordance with the charge under Section 233(2)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Muhammad Aidil paid the fine.
He committed the offence by using a Telegram account ‘@sanomanji89’ to commercially ‘advertise’ a pornographic video at a residence in Shah Alam, Selangor, at 10.45 pm on March 1, 2024, which was later accessed from a condominium in Shah Alam at 11 am on April 4 the same year.
According to case facts, a digital forensic officer from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was assigned to act as an undercover agent and contacted ‘@sanomanji89’ to purchase the video titled “Promo July24”, for RM100 in Touch ‘n Go reload code.
On July 23, 2024, at 9.52 pm, the man sent the agent the link to another Telegram account ‘@cocomelon87’, after successfully redeeming the payment code.
Earlier, MCMC deputy public prosecutor Fadhli Ab Wahab pressed for a deterrent sentence, stressing the seriousness of the offence.
“Uploading and selling pornographic material not only contradicts religious and cultural values, but also promotes the misuse of social media and poses psychological risks to society. As a Muslim, the accused should have been aware that such actions violate religious principles,” he said.
Lawyer Sabrina Mohammad appealed for leniency, citing her client’s youth, financial hardship, and family circumstances.
“He recently completed his industrial training, has no stable income, and relies entirely on his parents, who earn about RM3,200 monthly. Additionally, one of his siblings suffers from a chronic illness and another is a person with disabilities (OKU),” she told the court. – Bernama
