Ex-convict gets 15 years in jail for terrorism-related offences

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur today sentenced an ex-convict to a total of 40 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to four charges of performing the "Baiah”, giving support and possessing materials related to the Daesh terrorist group last year.

Judge Azhar Abdul Hamid handed down the sentence on Nik Mohd Shalahuddin Zakaria, 41, who had served three years in jail in 2018 for a similar offence.

However, the judge ordered the jail sentences to be served concurrently from the date of arrest, meaning Nik Shalahuddin will only be required to serve 15 years in jail.

For the first two charges, he was sentenced to five years in prison each, for possessing items related to terrorist acts and the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group involving 1,020 photos, 26 videos and 321 PDF articles in his mobile phone.

Similar items, comprising 378 photos, 36 videos and 244 PDF articles were also found in his other mobile phone.

The offences were committed in Kampung Senang, Kota Jembal in Kelantan at 9.15am on June 10 last year.

In October last year, the Kota Bharu Sessions Court judge Zulkifli Abllah allowed deputy public prosecutor Shafiq Hasim’s application for the case to be transferred to the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.

The charges were framed under Section 130JB(1) (a) of the Penal Code which provides a maximum prison sentence of seven years or a fine and the confiscation of any property that was used or intended to be used in committing the offence upon conviction.

On the third charge, for giving support to the IS terrorist group by using the Facebook social media application under the name of Ahmad Saif Al-Islam, which was detected at 10.15pm at the Bukit Aman Police Headquarters, Kuala Lumpur, on June 10, the court sentenced him to 15 years in jail.

He was also sentenced to 15 years in jail on the fourth charge of being a member of the IS group by performing the “Baiah” ceremony with IS leader Abu Hafs Al Hashimi Al-Qurashi as a caliph to support the IS terrorist group.

For the two charges, the accused, who used to work as a gardener, was charged under Section 130J(1)(a) of the Penal Code which provides for a prison sentence of not more than 40 years or a fine.

The accused, who was unrepresented, informed that he did not wish to mitigate.

"There is nothing I want to say about the sentence and I will not mitigate... I do not want to ask for sympathy, and I will persevere with this test," said the third child of seven siblings.

- Bernama

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