SINGAPORE, Sept 29 — Teenage blogger Amos Yee was sentenced to six weeks’ jail and fined S$2,000 (RM6,000) today for wounding the religious feelings of Muslims and Christians and for failing to turn up at the police station despite orders to do so.

The 17-year-old was convicted of eight criminal charges in all — six of which are for wounding the religious feelings of Muslims and Christians, and an additional two are for failing to turn up at a police station for investigations despite orders from the police.

In handing down the sentence, principal district judge Ong Hian Sun noted that Yee was not lacking in the mental capacity to make rational choices in the way he conducted himself.

While Yee has the capability to do good or harm with what he does and says, Ong noted that the blogger chose to, on several occasions, deliberately elect to do harm by using offensive and insulting words and profane gestures to hurt the feelings of Christians and Muslims.

"His contemptuous and irreverent remarks have the tendency to generate social unrest and undermine the religious harmony in our society. It is therefore in the public interest that such conduct by the accused should not be condoned or tolerated by this court,” he added.

Yee initially contested these charges but decided to plead guilty, on the third day of his trial last month, to the two counts of failing to turn up at Jurong Police Division on Dece,ber 14 last year and May 10 this year, despite the police orders.

The following day, he pleaded guilty to another three charges for insulting Muslims and Christians, but indicated that he wanted to fight the remaining three similar charges.

But when Yee returned to court yesterday, he admitted to these remaining offences, which took place between April 17 and May 19.

In seeking a jail term of six weeks and a fine of S$2,000, Deputy Public Prosecutor Hon Yi noted that the content of the videos Yee posted were extremely offensive. He did not mince his words, choosing to use crude and repugnant words to denigrate Christianity and Islam, added the DPP.

There was also "financial motivation” involved in the posts he made, noted DPP Hon. The blogger had, in an interview he gave to the Hong Kong Free Press, alluded to the fact that there were advertisements in the videos he posted.

Having advertisements in the videos meant that he would make more money with more viewership, he added.

In mitigation, Yee’s lawyer Kanagavijayan Nadarajan sought a jail term of four weeks and a total fine of S$1,000. He noted that Yee admitted that his acts were offensive and provocative to the Christian faith and to Islam.

Yee is also deeply remorseful for all his acts, he added.

His jail term will be deferred to Oct 13 for him to sort out his personal and financial affairs.

Yee was convicted of similar charges last year and was sentenced to four weeks’ jail. — TODAY