KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 — A housewife was fined RM2,000 in default three months’ jail by the Sessions Court here for transmitting an offensive post directed at Prophet Muhammad via her Facebook account in February, last year.

Judge MM Edwin Paramjothy sentenced Fadilah Hamid, 43, who had earlier pleaded not guilty to the offence, after she changed her plea to guilty on the first day of the trial today.

The woman was charged with knowingly making and initiating the sending of the offensive post using the Facebook profile page ‘Fadhilah Abdulhamid’ with the intention of insulting others and the statement was read on the Facebook profile page ‘Fadhilah Abdulhamid’ at Apartment Seri Ceria, Jalan Jalil Indah Pinggiran Bukit Jalil, Cheras here, at about 9.14am on February 19, last year.

The charge filed under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and punishable under Section 233 (3) of the same Act carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment for up to one year or both.

Counsel Nurul Fitriza Abd Latif who appeared for Fadilah applied for a bond of good behaviour or a minimum fine on the grounds that her client was suffering from depression and autism spectrum disorder.

"My client also suffers from depression and receives treatment at Kajang Hospital. She undergoes extreme sadness, difficulty sleeping and likes to isolate herself. She also receives follow-up treatments at the Psychiatric Clinic at Kajang Hospital as an outpatient until now,” said Nurul Fitriza.

Deputy public prosecutor Nurul Syahieza Md Hadzaid who prosecuted said taking into account the medical report from Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta, Fadilah was found healthy to undergo trial and consciously made the posting. Therefore, the punishment of good behaviour bond is not adequate,” she said. — Bernama