Singaporean jailed in Malaysia after ride-hailing driver posted video of him insulting Islam

Mohamed Anim Atam, a 56-year-old man, was sentenced to three months in prison in Malaysia for allegedly insulting Islam, according to reports. The court ordered the sentence to begin on the day of his arrest, August 18, and it was set to run from that date. The charge, under Section 298 of Malaysia's Penal Code, makes it punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine, or both. The incident occurred on July 30 while Anim was a passenger in a ride-hailing vehicle from Jalan Tun Razak to Jalan Meldrum in Johor Bahru.

According to Malay Mail, the alleged offense took place when Anim made derogatory remarks about the Quran, describing it as lacking compassion and focused solely on killing. The driver, Muhamad Danial Haikal Nadzahakim, 29, overheard the remarks and recorded the conversation, which was then posted to social media. In the recording, the driver identifies himself as a Muslim, disputes Anim's characterization of the faith, and threatens to kick him out of the car.

After the video went viral, a police report was lodged on July 31, and Anim was arrested on August 18 around 4:15 p.m. at the Sultan Iskandar Building in Bukit Chagar. He was taken into custody with assistance from Singapore police and a mobile phone was seized as part of the investigation. During the court proceedings, Anim's lawyer informed the judge that his client suffers from high blood pressure and was dealing with a divorce proceeding that required him to appear before the Syariah Court in Singapore, leading to a plea for leniency.