Singapore Security Guard Jailed and Fined for Insulting Religion

JOHOR BAHRU: A Singaporean security guard was jailed 14 days and fined RM7,000 by the Magistrate’s Court here today for the offence of insulting Islam, last month.

Magistrate A. Sharmini handed down the sentence after the accused, Mohamed Anim Atam, 56, pleaded guilty after the charge was read out to him.

The accused was ordered to serve three months’ jail if he fails to pay the fine.

The man was charged with intentionally wounding religious feelings by making statements insulting the Quran at approximately 5 pm starting from Jalan Tun Razak to Jalan Meldrum, here, last July 30.

The accused committed an offence under Section 298 of the Penal Code and is punishable under Section 298 of the same act which provides for imprisonment of up to one year, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.

The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor, Eizlan Azhar, who requested the court to impose a commensurate sentence after the case went viral on social media and received public attention as it involved the 3Rs.

According to the facts of the case, the Singaporean man intentionally uttered the words while riding in an e-hailing vehicle before the driver uploaded a video of the conversation on social media.

Previously, a two-minute 20-second video involving the Republic’s citizen who insulted Islam while riding an e-hailing car around the city went viral, before he was arrested by a team of officers and personnel from the Criminal Investigation Division of the Johor Bahru Selatan District Police Headquarters (IPD) with the assistance of the Singapore Police.

Utusan Malaysia