Singaporean man, 56, jailed 14 days and fined US$1,733 for insulting Islam in Johor

JOHOR BAHRU: A 56-year-old Singaporean man has been jailed for 14 days and fined RM7,000 (US$1,733) by a Johor court on Friday (Aug 21) - after pleading guilty to insulting Islam during a visit to the Malaysian state. 

Mohamed Anim Atam, a Singaporean security guard who was unrepresented, was sentenced at the Johor Bahru Magistrates’ Court, Malaysian media reports said. 

According to charge sheets, Mohamed Anim had deliberately uttered words insulting Islam with the intention of wounding the religious feelings of another person under Section 298 of the Penal Code, The Star reported. 

Mohamed Anim was accused of committing the offence while travelling in an e-hailing car from Jalan Tun Razak to Jalan Meldrum on Jul 30. 

Magistrate A Shaarmini ordered his jail term to run from the date of his arrest on Tuesday - failing which he would face another three months in prison. 

The offence carries a maximum jail term of one year, a fine or both. 

Local media reported that according to the facts of the case, during his journey in the car, Mohamed Anim had described the Quran as lacking in compassion and focused only on killing.

His remarks were overheard by the e-hailing driver, Muhamad Danial Haikal Nadzahakim, who then uploaded a two-minute video of the conversation to social media, which went viral.

A police report was lodged on Jul 31. Mohamed Anim was later arrested at the Sultan Iskandar Building along Jalan Lingkaran Dalam in Bukit Chagar on Aug 18.

During court proceedings on Friday, he appealed for a fine, citing high blood pressure and ongoing divorce proceedings that required him to appear before the Syariah Court in Singapore, media reports said. 

Deputy Public Prosecutor Eizlan Azhar sought a proportionate sentenceas the offence had touched upon highly sensitive issues in Malaysia involving race, religion and royalty - and had caused a significant public outcry on social media, reported Malay Mail.