Kuala lumpur: An e-hailing driver found himself in legal trouble after being fined RM4,000 by the Sessions Court for posting false claims regarding diesel on TikTok in April. Shahuddin Gowana, 51, admitted to the charge and was subsequently sentenced by Judge Monica Linsua. The alternative to paying the fine is a six-month imprisonment term.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Shahuddin's post on the TikTok account @izzyderabbit, dated April 14, carried the caption 'isu DIESEL dihantar ke FILIPINA STOP JADIKAN MALAYSIA NEGARA BADUT'. The prosecution argued that the content was a deliberate attempt to transmit false information with the intention of offending others.

The controversial post was identified by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) Content Moderation Department at 8.57 am on April 15, within MCMC Tower 1 located in Cyberjaya, Selangor. This led to Shahuddin being charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588).

The particular section under which Shahuddin was charged stipulates severe penalties, including a potential fine of up to RM500,000, imprisonment for a maximum of two years, or both. Additionally, an ongoing violation post-conviction can incur an extra RM5,000 fine for each day the offence persists.

The case was prosecuted by MCMC's prosecuting officer, Nurnazhzilah Mohammad Hashim.