Fake news, doctor fined RM5,000
KANGAR: A doctor was fined RM5,000 at the Sessions Court, here after pleading guilty to publishing a publication containing fake news about the Sinovac vaccine in Beseri last April.
The accused, Jamnul Azhar Mulkan, 53, can also be jailed for five months if he fails to pay the prescribed fine.
Earlier, the accused in a wheelchair arrived at around 8.50am accompanied by his wife and child.
Based on the charge sheet, the accused was charged with using the Facebook application service through UiDM Polimas' Facebook account and using the profile name 'UiDM Polimas' with the intention of causing fear or anxiety to the public by publishing untrue news through his posting
He was alleged to have committed the act at the Beseri Health Clinic, Padang Besar at 8.10 am on April 20.
The accused is charged with an offense under Section 4 (1) of the Emergency (Essential Powers) (No. 2) Ordinance 2021 where on conviction is punishable by a fine not exceeding RM100,000 or imprisonment not exceeding three years or both.
Apart from that, the accused can also be fined not more than RM1,000 for each day as long as the offense continues after conviction.
He who understood the charge then made the confession after the charge was read before Judge Musyiri Peet.
The prosecution was conducted by Perlis Director of Prosecution, Mohd Nordin Ismail, while the accused was represented by lawyer Mohd Khairul Hafizuddin Ramli.
Khairul, who represented his client in the appeal submission, hoped that the court would be able to give a lighter sentence based on his client's guilty plea which was considered to save time and trial costs in court.
Apart from that, his client is also married and has eight children aged between 15 to 30, six of whom are still studying at institutes of higher learning and schools.
His client is also a medical graduate from a university in Egypt and although he has a clinic in Pendang, he is unable to manage the clinic full time due to his health factors that do not permit.
His client was also not an anti-vaccine individual as his client had already received an injection of Pfizer-type COVID-19 vaccine on April 21 for the first dose and May 17 for the second dose.
Meanwhile, Mohd Nordin in his counter -argument wanted the court to look at the accused's actions which could cause misunderstanding in the community in the government's effort to provide vaccines to the people.
The accused's act was also able to hamper the government's efforts to obtain group immunity in the community as a result of his talk which was contagious, causing confusion among the community.
The accused then paid the prescribed fine upon completion of the proceedings.
Dr Jamnul Azhar Mulkan (in a wheelchair) being taken out of the Kangar Sessions Court room, today after the proceedings. - Photo by NSTP/Aizat Sharif
.jpg)
