A night market trader was sentenced to three years in prison by the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today for planning to attack a nightclub in Johor Baru with a hand grenade, last year.

Justice Azman Abdullah meted out the punishment on Jasanizam Rosni, 33, effective from his arrest on Aug 9, 2016.

The trader initially claimed trial, and hearing of the case had been fixed for today. However, he changed his plea to guilty when the charge was read out to him again.

The judge said the accused's plan to attack the nightclub, "regarded as a place of vice", to punish those who patronised the premises, was not sensible.

"Punishing people with the use of bombs and so on is basically wrong. I'm sure those who visited such premises are young people who, as they grow old will change for the better. There is no need to bomb the place," he said.

Jasanizam committed the offence at a house in Kampung Parit Gantung, Seri Merlong, Rengit, Batu Pahat between June and Aug 9, 2016, under Section 130JD(1) of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum seven years imprisonment and a fine on conviction.

Based on the facts of the case, he planned to carry out the terrorist act after an individual named Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi instructed him to take a hand grenade from a man named Jonius Ondie for the attack.

He also met with three other men named Md Saifuddin Muji, Imam Wahyudin Karjono and Sogon and was told by the former that the explosive would be used to attack the nightclub. The men took lessons from YouTube on how to use the bomb.

Jasanizam also planned with Md Saifuddin to target temples and nightclubs in Johor after learning that Sogon and Imam Wahyudin succeeded in carrying out a bomb attack at the Movida nightclub in Puchong.

He said he also wanted to keep the explosive at Md Saifuddin's rented house but the latter objected and planted the bomb under a coconut tree in his village in Rengit, Johor Baharu.

Earlier in mitigation, Jasanizam's counsel Mohd Ruzaini Zulkifli told the court that the accused only played a minor role in the plan.

However, deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Fadzlan Mohd Noor urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence in view of the seriousness of the offence.

"Although the facts of the case showed that he played a minimal role, nevertheless, he was carrying a bomb. Had it not been discovered, the result would have been an incident such as what happened at the Movida nightclub in Puchong," submitted DPP.

- Bernama