By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Jan 29: A Magistrate’s Court here today sentenced a 57-year-old man to five months’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to an offence involving the desecration of the Quran, in which torn pages were found scattered on a public roadway.
Magistrate Nursyaheeqa Nazwa Radzali ordered the custodial sentence against Mohamad Jais Yusuf, who was unrepresented, to take effect immediately.
The accused was charged under Section 295 of the Penal Code, an offence punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
Court proceedings revealed that the accused had deliberately torn pages from the Quran and disposed of them along the road, fully aware that such conduct was likely to insult the Islamic faith.
The incident was reported to have occurred between 8.40pm and 8.42pm on Jan 23, in the vicinity of Jalan Borneo here.
According to the facts of the case, a village headman from a nearby area became aware of the incident after encountering a widely circulated video on social media.
The footage showed fragments of torn Quranic pages strewn across a stretch of road, extending from Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman to Jalan Borneo.
A police report was subsequently lodged, triggering an investigation that led to the arrest of the accused on Jan 26.
Investigators later identified witnesses who had seen the accused moving around the area and discarding the torn pages. The incident was also captured by CCTV cameras at a nearby hotel, further corroborating witness accounts.
During investigations, the accused acknowledged that he was aware of his actions, stating that he had been prompted by voices urging him to commit the act. He also confirmed that he does not possess any disability or mental health certification.
Police checks further revealed that the accused has six prior criminal records, including three involving narcotics-related offences, and was found to have tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Afiq Safly Nor Kazly. — DayakDaily
