KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 — Blogger Milosuam was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment today for posting statements that caused fear during the 2013 Lahad Datu incursion by Sulu militants.
Human rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) said the blogger, whose full name is Yusuf al-Siddique, was found guilty and given the maximum punishment at the Kota Kinabalu court under Section 505 of the Penal Code that prohibits causing public mischief.
“His trial in Kota Kinabalu was condemned as arbitrary and unnecessary,” LFL said in a statement.
The group pointed out that Milosuam was charged in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, in June 2013 despite the fact that he was based in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
LFL also noted that the blogger was arrested in Kuala Lumpur in May 2013 and that he was never at Kota Kinabalu during the time of the alleged posting.
The human rights group said a stay has been granted pending the appeal of the case.
Local daily The Star reported in June 2013 Senior Federal Counsel Jamil Aripin as saying that Milosuam was charged in the Kota Kinabalu magistrate’s court because the latter’s blog was widely read in Sabah.
According to The Star, Milosuam allegedly made a posting titled “Pendatang asing bakal cetus huru hara di Sabah?” (Foreigners to cause chaos in Sabah?)”, in which the blogger reportedly claimed that 1,500 foreigners would cause chaos in the East Malaysian state.
