PETALING JAYA: A Syrian man has been fined RM3,000 and jailed a week by the Besut shariah lower court in Terengganu after pleading guilty to insulting the state’s religious authorities.
Mohib Khouli Nazem made the plea before judge Ahmad Amir Mustaqim Ahmad Kusaini after being charged under Terengganu’s 2001 Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment.
The court granted a stay of execution of the jail term and fine pending the outcome of his appeal in the shariah high court against the sentence, Berita Harian reported.
Mohib, who was previously accused of spreading deviant Islamic teachings, was charged with insulting the state’s religious authorities on Facebook while commenting on a fatwa issued by the state fatwa committee.
The fatwa released on Nov 16, 2023, declares the teachings Mohib holds to as being deviant.
The Syrian man was represented by shariah lawyer Zabidi Yusof while shariah prosecutor Farhana Sulaiman prosecuted.
