E-HAILING driver, P.Mahendra Boopathy was fined RM4,000 by the Seremban magistrate's court after he pleaded guilty to a charge of making a provocative statement capable of threatening public order.
According to reports in The Star, Magistrate Nurul Saqinah Rosli ordered the 53-year-old to serve seven months in jail in the event he was unable to pay the fine.
The accused was charged with committing the offence, which included uploading a video on his Facebook account questioning the land status of a mosque along Jalan Rasah in Seremban and also posted a question asking if a Hindu temple built under a bridge was considered illegal.
Mahendra was charged with committing the offence around 12.30 pm on Feb 27 at the Masjid Jamek Dato' Bandar Hj Ahmad in Kg Dato Mansor along Jalan Rasah.
He was charged under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code, which criminalises making, publishing or circulating any statement, rumour, or report with the intent to cause, or which is likely to cause fear or alarm to the public.
Offenders can be jailed for up to two years, fined or both upon conviction.
Mahendra, who was unrepresented, pleaded for a minimum fine as he had no income now after his car was involved in an accident and had to provide for his sick father.
He told the court he was remorseful for his actions and promised not to repeat it.
State prosecution director Ku Hayati Ku Haron asked for a stern punishment as a deterrent to others. – March 17, 2026
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