Only RM100? – Many Unhappy Over Paltry Fine Slapped Against Shalini Periasamy In Cyberbullying Case
Shalini Periasamy was fined RM100 after she pleaded guilty to a charge under the Minor Offences Act.
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If you’re on social media, you would have seen the rage over the RM100 fine imposed on a woman who was accused of cyberbullying TikTok user Rajeswary Appahu better known as Esha.
Shalini Periasamy, who describes herself as a “senior psychiatric physiotherapist” in her LinkedIn profile, was fined by the Magistrate’s court for “deliberately uttering vulgarities with the intention to stir anger and disturb the peace” using TikTok.
Magistrate S. Arunjothy fined the 35-year-old RM100 after she pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955.
She was accused of committing the offence using her TikTok account “alphaquinnsha” on 1 July at 4.10am.
Failure to pay the fine would result in a 7-day jail sentence.
Shalini is linked to the cyberbullying of Esha who allegedly committed suicide.
READ MORE: Woman Arrested In Connection With TikTok Influencer’s Death Following Alleged Cyberbullying
Only RM100?
With the amount being a paltry RM100, many were not happy with this.
Footage of Shalini strutting out of court while smiling also intensified public anger.
📹📹📹
— Scoop (@Scoopdotmy) July 16, 2024
Shalini Periasamy fined RM100 for uttering insults intended to provoke Esha. pic.twitter.com/VqYqY43oSi
Many asked “why only RM100?”
One person pointed out that the fine for traffic offencens are much higher compared to this.
Others also commented saying that the law is unfair in this case.
The reason Shalini was fined “only RM100” is because that is the maximum amount under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act.
Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 states that Individuals who use indecent, threatening, abusive, or insulting words, behave in a threatening manner, or post indecent, threatening, abusive, or insulting materials with intent to provoke a breach of the peace is liable to a fine not exceeding RM100.
Lawyer Sagunthala Ghanesh also explained this on TikTok when asked by her followers.
@sagunthalaghanesh Buli Siber Denda RM100 Sahaja??? #peguam #peguamtiktok #peguamhartanah #lawyermalaysia #lawyer #lawyersoftiktok #malaysiaindians #malaysiatamiltiktok #fyp #foryourpage #bulisiber #dendaRM100? #esha #aktakesalahankecil #peguamterbaik ♬ original sound – Lawyer Sagun
Family Is Not Happy
According to Buletin TV3, Esha’s family is disappointed with the punishment meted out against Shalini.
“This time around it is me. Next time who is it going to be…whose child is it going to be?“ Esha’s mother Puspa Rajagopal asked.
Meanwhile, in another development concerning the same case of cyberbullying, lorry driver B. Sathiskumar was charged at the Sessions Court with posting lewd comments with the intention to annoy others on the @dual_brothers_360 TikTok account.
He pleaded guilty.
Unlike Shalini, Sathiskumar, 44, was charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
This section has a maximum fine of RM50,000 or a jail term of up to one year.
He also faces another charge where he claimed trial.
Sathiskumar was accused of posting lewd comments with the intention to outrage the modesty of Puspa, using the same TikTok account.
This charge was framed under Section 509 of the Penal Code and could potentially land him up to five years in jail upon conviction.
He was allowed bail at RM36,000 for both charges with 16 August set for remention as he wanted to appoint a lawyer.
The sentencing for the first charge is also postponed to the same date.
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