A Woman Is Being Charged By The MCMC For Posting This Status About Najib
The status apparently offended Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
By Nandini Balakrishnan — 18 Feb 2016, 06:17 PM — Updated about 8 years ago
It it a common knowledge that Malaysians have been greatly dissatisfied with the fact that the government has finally signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), forcing the nation to comply to complex trade laws of the long winded agreement
The deal which was signed on 4 February, involves the participation of 12 countries in various stages of development.
The 12 countries that signed the agreement are, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.
The people of the participating countries have rejected it based on its very stringent laws that might not benefit all the participating nations.
Some of the issues that were raised are; intellectual property laws that would hike up the cost of medicine, trade laws that seeks to decrease the costs of setting up multinational companies to promote equality, and stricter internet laws that would put a dent on the internet freedom that we have been enjoying for the past decade.
While most people opted to more formal ways of protest, this Malaysian woman decided to put up a status on Facebook critisising Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for to be a TPPA nation.
If it's just a Facebook status, why the fuss over it?
Before delving further into the issue, here's a screenshot of Facebook user, Ratu Naga's status on TPPA:
The status which was posted on 6 October 2015, reads:
You are really a (insert profanity) if you sign the TPPA. You are an illegitimate child if you sign it (insert profanity)! Trying to get away with it! You are selling the country! What kind of a (insert profanity) are you? We Malaysians will curse your next seven generations!
Why didn't you discuss this issue in the parliament? 222 members of parliament were right there, including BN and PR! Talk about the people! Malaysia is bound to fall into the hands of colonialists again because there are 222 irresponsible MPs!
Her profanities filled 'complains' on TPPA, landed her in hot soup with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)
Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah, 35, who goes by the name Ratu Naga on Facebook, was slapped with charge sheet under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588) and punishable under Section 233(3) of the same act.
The authorities only charged Ratu Naga on 26 January, more than three months after she posted the status on her Facebook page.
Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah or better known as Ratu Naga
Image via Facebook/Ratu Naga/ The Malaysian InsiderSection 233: Improper use of network facilities or network service
(1) A person who:
(a) by means of any network facilities or network service or applications service knowingly—
(i) makes, creates or solicits; and
(ii) initiates the transmission of,
any comment, request, suggestion or other communication which is obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person.
(3) A person who commits an offence under this section shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both and shall also be liable to a further fine of RM1,000 for every day during which the offence is continued after conviction.
skmm.gov.my
According to news portal The Malaysian Insider, the charge sheet stated that Ratu Naga is being charged because her status has caused hurt and offended PM Najib Razak
The offence was allegedly committed on her Facebook page at 12.02 am on October 6, 2015.
Deputy public prosecutor Faizah Mohd Salleh, who prosecuted with prosecuting officer from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Norhani Mohd Adzhar, offered bail at between RM3,000 and RM7,000, but Syarul requested the amount to be reduced as she only earned RM3,000 a month and was facing financial problems.
Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah, 35, pleaded not guilty to the charge before judge Aizatul Akmal Maharani. The judge then set bail at RM7,000 with two sureties ad fixed March 22 for mention.
themalaysianinsider.com
If you are still having difficulties understanding the complexities of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, read this:
In the months leading up to the TPPA's final leg of discussions, local researcher, Jay Jay Denis, revealed that TPPA's internet laws could open up the possibility of internet service providers spying on our internet activities: