KUALA LUMPUR: A contractor was jailed three years by the High Court here for knowingly encouraging membership in the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.

The jail sentence was meted out by Justice Nordin Hassan after Saidin Yaacob, 49, admitted to the alternative charge Friday.

Justice Nordin ordered the sentence to run from July 18 last year.

Saidin was charged with knowingly encouraging membership in the group at a house at Lot 3487 Rancangan Pinggir Padang Besar, Jeneri, Sik, Kedah, between January and September 2014.

He was accused under Section 130G(b) of the Penal Code.

The father of two was previously charged with knowingly recruiting Ishak Haya and Abdul Halid Dari as members of the IS group.-thestar