Ex-headmaster fined RM10,000 over FB threat against pathologist in Zara inquest

Kamul Kamarudin changes plea from not guilty to guilty in the Kota Kinabalu sessions court.

Kamul Kamarudin had initially pleaded not guilty in the Kota Kinabalu sessions court to publishing a Facebook post threatening forensic pathologist Dr Jessie Hiu, who testified in the Zara Qairina Mahathir inquest. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 A former headmaster has been fined RM10,000 by the Kota Kinabalu sessions court for uploading a Facebook post threatening a consultant forensic pathologist who testified in the inquest into Zara Qairina Mahathir’s death.

Judge Marlina Ibrahim handed down the sentence on Kamul Kamarudin after he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty today, Daily Express reported.

Marlina also ordered Kamul to serve a two-month jail sentence if he fails to pay the fine.

On Sept 11, Kamul had pleaded not guilty to a charge of using a Facebook profile in the name of “Amung Kamaruddin” to publish the post against Dr Jessie Hiu, a forensic pathologist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu.

Hiu had testified before coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan that Zara’s death was unlikely to have been caused by an accidental fall or by being pushed from a standing position at the scene.

She said it was possible that Zara had climbed the concrete wall on the third floor of her hostel. However, she left it to the court to determine if Zara had voluntarily jumped.

In his posting, Kamul, 61, suggested “hiring a driver to carry out a hit-and-run” on Hiu.

He was charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities, punishable by a maximum RM500,000 fine or up to two years’ jail, or both, upon conviction. - FMT