SEPANG, May 20 — The Sepang Sessions Court today imposed a RM4,000 fine each on a personal driver and a Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) volunteer for spreading false information about the Budi Madani RON95 (Budi95) subsidy initiative on TikTok.
SEPANG, May 20 — The Sepang Sessions Court today imposed a RM4,000 fine each on a personal driver and a Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) volunteer for spreading false information about the Budi Madani RON95 (Budi95) subsidy initiative on TikTok.
Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman meted out the sentence against Mohd Aiman Zaini Satar, 29, and described the offence as serious, warning that such actions could lead to public disorder.
He also ordered a six-month jail term in default of payment.
“The impact of our online posts is serious; it can sometimes lead to chaos. If left unchecked, such actions can create unrest. Be careful when posting,” he said.
According to the charge, Mohd Aiman knowingly created and shared a false post with intent to annoy others on April 4, which was viewed the following day at Level 8, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Tower 1, Cyberjaya.
He was charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998, which carries a maximum penalty of a RM500,000 fine, imprisonment of up to two years, or both upon conviction.
MCMC prosecuting officer Nazrul Nizam Mohd Zameri appeared for the prosecution, while Mohd Aiman was unrepresented.
Earlier, Mohd Aiman appealed for a lighter sentence, saying he had irregular income and needed to support his wife and his two-and-a-half-year-old child who is suffering from leukaemia.
In a separate case before the same judge, APM volunteer Romfazly Syam Mohd Mokhtar, 46, was also fined RM4,000, or six months’ jail in default, for sharing false information about the Budi95 subsidy on TikTok.
The offence was committed on April 4 and viewed on April 5 at the MCMC Tower in Cyberjaya, and he was also charged under the same provision of the CMA 1998.
Judge Ahmad Fuad said the accused, as a government-linked volunteer, should have helped clarify government policies instead of spreading misinformation, and cautioned him to be more responsible on social media.
Both men subsequently paid their fines. — Bernama
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