KUALA TERENGGANU, Oct 8 — A mobile phone shop owner was charged at the Sessions Court here yesterday with 115 counts of unauthorised registration and modification of information following a report lodged by the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) in connection with the dissemination of a viral fake news four years ago.
Ng Yean Ping, 33, pleaded guilty of using the identity of 35 foreign nationals in the registration of mobile phone numbers, one of which was used to disseminate the viral fake news.
He committed the offence by accessing Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd’s Multi-Channel Portal (MCP) and made an unauthorised modification of the contents of the MCP system by inserting the details of the 35 foreign nationals.
The offence was committed at K Five Mobile 1127 A&B, Jalan Bukit Kecil, here between April 18 and June 10, 2016.
The offence, under Section 5(1) Computer Crimes Act 1997, carries a maximum fine of RM100,000 or seven years’ jail, or both, if convicted.
Judge Nooriah Osman, however, postponed the sentencing to today.
During the proceedings today, the court was told that the crime was detected after Bernama lodged a police report after the agency was linked to the dissemination of the fake news titled Sultan Mizan Kembalikan Darjah Kebesaran Kepada MB Terengganu dated June 1, 2016.
Further investigations found that the fake news was sent from a mobile number 010 3873508 registered under the name of a foreigner, which could not be found in the Immigration Department’s record.
However, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) managed to track the accused’s activities and found 115 mobile phone numbers registered with false information without the knowledge of the telecommunication company.
Deputy public prosecutors from the MCMC Norhani Mohd Adzhar and Nur Nazhzilah Mohammad Hashim prosecuted, while the accused was represented by Che Amir Che Musa.
— Bernama
