00:04A university student has been charged in court with desecrating the Quran and posting offensive content on social media.
00:1121-year-old S. Vikneswaran appeared before Sessions Court Judge Harmi Thamri Muhammad in Kuantan on Tuesday,
00:19facing not one, but two separate charges related to religious sensitivity and online conduct.
00:24The first charge alleges that Vikneswaran desecrated the Quran with the intent to offend the religion.
00:31The incident reportedly took place at Jalan Gambang, Taman Seri Makota, at around 1.30pm on February 22nd.
00:40This charge falls under Section 295 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison,
00:48a fine or both.
00:49The second charge involves posts made on threads, using an account under the name Ryan De Selva.
00:57Vikneswaran is accused of knowingly sharing offensive communications with the intent to upset others.
01:03Under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, 1998, a conviction could result in a fine of up to
01:12500,000 ringgit, two years imprisonment, or both.
01:16With an additional 5,000 ringgit for every day, the offence continues.
01:21Vikneswaran pleaded not guilty to both charges and opted to go to trial.
01:26The prosecution called for bail set at 50,000 ringgit for both charges, citing the seriousness of the offences and
01:34public concern over the case.
01:35However, Vikneswaran's lawyer, Muhammad Amirul Afiq Muhammad Lokman, argued that his client, a final year student at University Malaysia, Pahang
01:46Al-Sultan Abdullah, is financially dependent on his father, a fish farmer who earns around 5,000 ringgit a month.
01:54The defence also disclosed that the accused had been referred to a clinic for psychological issues during his schooling years.
02:01The court ultimately set bail at 10,000 ringgit for both charges combined.
02:08Vikneswaran was also ordered to report to the police on a monthly basis.
02:12The case is scheduled to be mentioned again on April 8th.
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