A youth was sentenced today to one-year imprisonment for owning publications about the Islamic State (IS), the first such case in Malaysia under a new anti-terrorism provision.

Nazirul Abidin Thalha, 24, pleaded guilty to the offence under Section 130JB(1)(a) of the Penal Code over the download of 15 of such publications about the militant group, which is involved in a conflict in Syria, into his smartphone.

Under this new anti-terrorism provision that was gazetted this June, those in possession of any items associated with any terrorist groups or the commission of a terrorist act are liable to a maximum seven-year jail term, or a fine and forfeiture of rights over the publications.

… Wan Shaharuddin told the court today that Prof Rohan Gunaratna from Singapore’s International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) had analysed the 15 publications.

The international terrorism expert had concluded that the publications contain materials that can be used to plan and launch terrorist acts, which could threaten the safety of civilians in Syria under Section 130 (2) and Section 130 (3) of the Penal Code, Wan Shaharuddin had said.