Female activist pleads guilty to insulting Christianity

Wan Asshima Kamaruddin, 38, an activist of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Pondok Hijrah Muslimah Malaysia (MUM), was unable to hold back tears after changing her plea to guilty at the trial of her case today.

Judge M. M Edwin Paramjothy set June 15 to hear the facts of the case and for sentencing.

Wan Asshima was accused of making and initiating transmission of offensive communications with the intention of offending others, through a Facebook account in the name of 'Puteri Mujahidah Wan Asshima Kamaruddin' at 9.23 am on March 11, 2021.

The post was then read at the Cyber and Multimedia Crime Investigation Division Office, Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department, Wangsa Maju, at 6.24 pm, on March 13, 2021.

She was charged under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, punishable under Section 233 (3) of the same act, which provides a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment not exceeding one year or both, and shall be further fined RM1,000 for every day that the offence is repeated after conviction, if convicted.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor, Najihah Farhana Che Awang, pressed for appropriate punishment to serve as a lesson to the accused and the public, considering that there were 61 police reports lodged nationwide regarding the post by the accused.

"The most complaints come from Sabah, Sarawak, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. I also ask the court to consider this case which has entered the trial stage, with three prosecution witnesses having been called to testify, before the accused changes her plea to guilty," she said.

Lawyer Dorina Abdullah, who represented Wan Asshima, pleaded for leniency on the grounds that her client was the sole breadwinner of the family and did not intend to harm the public through her posting.

"My client is also facing a divorce case. I seek the court's sympathy in meting out the sentence for this case," said Dorina.