Judge Nabisha Ibrahim imposed the sentence on Saifuddin Shafik, 35, after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

“It is hoped that this sentence will serve as a lesson to you so that you do not repeat such mistakes, and to the public to be more careful in the use of social media,” Nabisha said.

Saifuddin also apologised for his actions to the families of the victims, the Armed Forces, and the public in court.

“After I made those comments, I realised (my mistake). I deeply regret my actions and I would not have made those comments if I did not have bipolar disorder.

“Here, I sincerely apologise to the families of the victims, the ATM, and any member of the public who was affected by my comments,” he said, later paying the fine.

Saifuddin was charged with making and initiating offensive communication through X using the profile name @saishafik with the intention of hurting others, under Section 233(1)(a)(ii) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

He committed the offence at 1.15pm on April 23, and the content was read at Gedung Sari Jalan Harmoni, Pusat Bandar Bagan Serai at 6.30pm on the same day.

Earlier, Perak prosecution director Wan Azimah Yaacob requested a heavy sentence as a warning to the public to use social media responsibly.

Amin Othman, representing Saifuddin, appealed for a fine instead of a jail sentence on the grounds that the accused, with an income of RM2,000 to RM2,500, had to support his wife and parents.

Amin said the health of Saifuddin’s bipolar stepchild also needed to be taken into account, while Saifuddin was still receiving treatment at several medical centres.

He also said it was Saifuddin’s first offence.