Tang Sie Luk, 23, entered the plea after the charge was read before sessions court judge Sazlina Safie, who also ordered four months’ imprisonment in default of the fine.

Tang paid the fine.

He was charged with knowingly creating and posting an extremely offensive video via his Instagram account “aluk_777” with the intent to cause annoyance.

He was charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which carries a fine of up to RM500,000 or a maximum two years in prison, or both, as well as a further RM5,000 fine for every day the offence persists after conviction.

Earlier, Tang, who was unrepresented, appealed for a minimum fine, saying he was remorseful for the offence and had already made an apology.

However, deputy public prosecutor Fadhli Ab Wahab urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence not only to punish the accused but to send a clear message to the public and prevent similar offences.

“The victim has also said he felt insulted and angry by the accused’s actions. This was not an act of charity. It was a calculated act of exploitation, using human suffering to create social media content for entertainment and public attention,” said Fadhli.

Based on the facts of the case, Tang appeared in the video giving food scraps to the homeless man on Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Johor Bahru. He also admitted to uploading the content from his mobile phone.