Kota Kinabalu: A 51-year-old e-hailing driver who claimed to be a content creator was fined RM4,000, or six months' jail in default, by the Sessions Court here after pleading guilty to uploading false content on TikTok regarding an alleged diesel shipment from Malaysia to the Philippines.
Judge Monica Linsua sentenced Shahuddin Gowana (pic) after he admitted knowingly initiating the transmission of false content through the TikTok account @izzyderabbit at Universiti Utama Condominium, Telipok, at 2pm on April 14 this year, with the intention of annoying others.
The offence, which was detected at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) headquarters in Cyberjaya the following morning, is punishable under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, read together with Section 233(2), which provides for a maximum fine of RM500,000, up to two years' imprisonment, or both.
The court heard investigations found the video's claim that 329,000 barrels of diesel had been shipped from Malaysia to the Philippines was false, with the National Economic Action Council clarifying that the shipment involved neither Malaysian Government-owned diesel nor Petronas but an international trading company, while digital forensic analysis recovered the deleted video from Shahuddin's mobile phone.
In mitigation, Shahuddin, who was unrepresented, sought a lenient sentence, citing his guilty plea, remorse, health issues and family responsibilities, while MCMC prosecuting officer Nur Nazhzilah Mohammad Hashim urged an appropriate sentence to serve as a deterrent, and the court was informed that the fine was paid.
