A bakery owner was sentenced to four and a half years' jail by the Kuala Lumpur High Court today after he pleaded guilty to a charge of giving support to the IS militant group two years ago.

Judge Ab Karim Ab Rahman ordered Mohammad Na'im Abd Rashid, 28, to serve the sentence from the day of his arrest on Oct 13, 2014.

Mohammad Na'im was charged with giving support to the militant group by being in Syria for the benefit of the group.

He did so by entering Syria through Istanbul, Turkey, on board a Qatar Airways flight departing from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

He committed the offence between Dec 28, 2013 and April 7, 2014.

The charge under Section 130J(1)(a) of the Penal Code provides a life imprisonment, or a maximum of 30 years or fine if convicted.

According to the facts of the case, Mohammad Na'im, while in Syria, had joined and stayed in a bungalow with other members of the group and was provided with an AK47 rifle as well.

He had also undergone military training for a week, but had never fired a shot at anyone during his stint in Syria.

He was said to have returned to Malaysia on April 7, 2014, and shared his experience in Syira with his family and friends.

He was arrested while attending a meeting and shared his experience in joining the IS militant group in Syria with other individuals at Restoran Hakim Sdn Bhd at between 9.30pm and 10.50pm on Oct 13, 2014.

Meanwhile in a separate court, a restaurant assistant was sentenced to two years' jail after he pleaded guilty to attempting to give support to the IS two years ago.

Judicial Commissioner Nordin Hassan also ordered the accused, Muhammad Na'eem Apandi, 26, to serve the sentence from the day of his arrest on Oct 13, 2014.

In his judgment, Nordin said giving support to the militant group was not only a violation of law, but also a serious offence that should be avoided.

"Conflicts happening in a other country should not be allowed to happen in our country. Prevention is important to avoid negative impact. We have to maintain peace and national security, not only for ourselves, but also for our families," he said.

Muhammad Na'eem was charged with trying to give support to the IS militant group by making an online purchase of a flight ticket to Istanbul, Turkey in order to enter Syria.

He committed the offence at Restoran Hakim Sdn Bhd, Jalan Zikron E7/E, Seksyen 7, Shah Alam at 10.50pm on Oct 13, 2014.

- Bernama