Chang, who was charged before Sepang sessions court judge Ahmad Fuad Othman, faces six months in jail if she fails to pay the fine, Sin Chew reported.

The 24-year-old asked for her phone to be returned to her, but she was told that she needed to file a formal application through her lawyer.

The charge was framed under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities, punishable by a maximum RM50,000 fine, up to a year in jail, or both, upon conviction.

Chang’s lawyer, Rhastdan Abdul Wahab, had appealed for a lighter sentence since it was her first offence and she had been attending counselling sessions.

“The accused is the eldest sibling in the family and has no stable income. She earns around RM1,000 to RM2,000 by writing online reviews,” Rhastdan was quoted as saying.

The lawyer also said Chang was supposed to undergo thyroid surgery but had to postpone it because of her family’s financial situation.

Sin Chew reported that the proceedings were interrupted after Chang said she could not understand the charge when it was read out to her in Malay.

Chang was nowhere to be found when the proceedings resumed with a Chinese interpreter, prompting the judge to call for another recess.

In June, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission recorded Chang’s statement and seized her handphone over a posting on Facebook.