Judge Azhar Othman meted out the punishment after Shahrizal Ridzuan Ambak, 48, pleaded guilty to the charge of abusing his position to solicit a bribe of RM4,428.60, Bernama reported.

The court ordered Shahrizal to begin serving his jail sentence immediately.

According to the charge sheet, he was accused of abusing his position by supplying SIM cards worth RM4,428.60 to 117 farm workers at Ladang Rakyat Terengganu Sdn Bhd in Cheneh, near Kemaman, between July and September 2022.

Shahrizal had a vested interest in the transaction as the SIM card supplier was his own son, the court ruled.

The charge was framed under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which provides for a prison term of up to 20 years, and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

MACC prosecuting officer Nur Mahirah Fauzi appeared for the prosecution, while Shahrizal was represented by lawyer Hazwan Hamidun.