Singaporean gets jail and fine for insulting Islam in JB

A Singaporean security guard was sentenced to 14 days' jail and fined RM7,000 (S$2,200) after pleading guilty to insulting Islam in Johor Bahru last month. 

Mohamed Anim Atam, 56, was sentenced on Friday (Aug 21) and ordered to serve his jail term from the date of his arrest on Aug 18, Bernama reported.

He was charged under Section 298 of the Malaysian Penal Code, which carries a maximum one-year jail term, a fine, or both. 

If he fails to pay the fine, he will face an additional three months of jail time.

According to charge sheets, Mohamed Anim committed the offence at about 5pm on July 30 in Johor Bahru.

He had made offensive remarks about Islam while travelling in an e-hailing vehicle, reported The Star.

A man recorded the incident and later uploaded the footage to social media.

On the next day, a police report was lodged. 

Deputy Public Prosecutor Eizlan Azhar sought an appropriate sentence, noting that the case had gone viral on social media and involved race, religion and royalty issues, The Star reported. 

In mitigation, the accused, who was unrepresented, appealed for a lighter sentence, citing his high blood pressure and ongoing divorce proceedings, which required him to attend hearings at the Syariah Court in Singapore.

Singapore police assisted in arrest 

Mohamed Anim was arrested on Aug 18 by officers from Johor Baru Selatan district police headquarters, with assistance from Singapore police. 

The police told AsiaOne on Friday that a 56-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the case. 

They said that the man had committed "an act with tendency to incite by delivering a speech that aroused hatred against the religion of Islam and insulting the religion of Islam" in Johor Bahru on July 30. 

The man was later handed by the Singapore police to the Royal Malaysia Police on Aug 18 to assist with investigations. 

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com