SHAH ALAM: Two men involved in the infamous cow head protest were fined RM3,000 each in default three months' jail by a Sessions Court after they pleaded guilty to a sedition charge.

In passing sentence, Judge Hasbi Hasan said: "In a multiracial country, we need to take care of the sensitivity of others.

"Religious issues must be handled in a practical and holistic manner."

She advised Eyzva Ezhar Ramly, 32, and Mohd Azmir Mohd Zaim, 36, who respectively carried and stomped on a cow head in a protest against the relocation of a temple, to learn from the episode and to think before they act.

Eyzva Ezhar was also sentenced to a week's jail apart from the fine.

The court ordered his jail time to run after he completes his current jail term on Aug 4 for a drug conviction.

Hasbi said that the court took into consideration the guilty pleas and family backgrounds as mitigating factors.

The court granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal to Ahmad Suhairy Zakaria, 31, Mohd Hilmi Ni, 41, Ibrahim Sabri, 44, and Ahmad Mahayuddin Abd Manaf, 37 - accused of a similar sedition charge.

Defence counsel Afifuddin Hafifi, in applying to the court to acquit and discharge the four, said: "The culprits (Eyzva Ezhar and Mohd Azmir) have pleaded guilty, hence there is no reason for the prosecution to pursue the case."

Earlier, the six men had pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of participating in an illegal assembly with the intention of causing public unrest along with six others.

The six others were Jainudin @Zainuddin Md Yusuff, 68, Mohd Jurit Ramli, 40. Mohd Nordin Zakaria, 47, Jamil Mohamad Isa, 41, Rahimuddin Md Harun, 40, and Azhari Shaari, 40.

All 12 were fined RM1,000 (S$427.70) each in default a month's jail.