Former TV employee pleads not guilty to false content charge

SEPANG - A former employee of a private television station pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to a charge of making and initiating the transmission of false content concerning the country's diesel supply through his Facebook account in April.

Mohd Khaidir Ahmad, 64, was accused of committing the offence through the Facebook account "Khaidir Ahmad” at 8.55 am on April 12.

The content was detected by an officer from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) at Menara MCMC 1 in Cyberjaya, Selangor, at about 7 pm the following day.

The charge was framed under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and is punishable under Section 233(2) of the same Act.

It provides for a maximum fine of RM500,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both, upon conviction.

Earlier, Mohd Khaidir, who was unrepresented, appealed for a lower bail on the grounds that he was unemployed and had to support four children who were still studying as well as his paralysed wife.

The court set bail at RM6,000 with one surety and fixed Aug 29 for mention.

In a separate case, the court also fined two individuals after they pleaded guilty to similar offences involving false posts related to fuel prices and electricity tariff increases.

Chong Kwai Fee, 55, and Romy Irwan Shah Amri Irawan, 64, were each fined RM4,000 after admitting to the charges. - BERNAMA