KUALA LUMPUR: A petrol pump attendant who sent a threatening message to the sister of missing boy Ahmad Asmawi Jalaludin, 11, was yesterday sentenced to four months' jail by a magistrate's court.
Murdi Diggong, 19, of Sabah, pleaded guilty to committing criminal intimidation by sending the text message by SMS to the boy's sister, Saudah Jalaludin, 32.
He admitted to sending the anonymous message which read: Asmawi ada di sini... Tapi dengan satu syarat... Bagi 5 ribu (Asmawi is here... But with one condition... Give RM5,000) at around 1.50pm on March 12.
After the interpreter read him the charge, Murdi said: "I admit that I did it, but I did not intend to threaten."
In passing sentence, magistrate K. Pavani told Murdi although he reasoned that the message was a playful one, it was not good enough for the court to pass a lenient sentence.
"This is a serious offence. You have taken advantage of a family's grief. Your action has caused them a lot of worry.
"The court is not here just to give out punishments. It is also to teach lessons," she said.
She ordered the jail term to begin from the date of his arrest on March 18.
According to the facts, Saudah tried to call the number after receiving the message, but there was no response.
She then lodged a police report and investigations found that the number belonged to Murdi.
With the help of Sabah police, Murdi was arrested at his house in Kota Belud, after which he admitted to sending the message.
Assistant public prosecutor Suhaima Mohd Noor said Murdi had caused the boy's family worry and fear.
Counsel Raja Nadia Sabrina Raja Ahmad, appearing for Murdi, pleaded that her client, the seventh child of 12 siblings, was the sole breadwinner of his family and a first-time offender
"He earns an income of RM450 and supports his four school-going siblings. He is remorseful of his action and will not do it again," she said.
Ahmad Asmawi went missing on March 9 on his way home after playing with friends at a playground near PPR Pantai Permai in Pantai Dalam.
