By Dorcas Ting
SERIAN, Sept 11: Fourteen men were each fined RM3,500 by the Serian Magistrate’s Court on Thursday (Sept 10) after pleading guilty to rioting while armed with two stones at a junction in Kampung Resak, Serian, in a clash sparked by a dispute over palm oil fruit.
Magistrate Nur Syaheeqa Nazwa Radzali ordered the men, aged between 23 and 58, to serve 12 months’ jail should they default on payment.
All 14, who were unrepresented, were charged under Section 148 of the Penal Code.
According to the facts of the case, a police officer on duty received a call from a member of the public at around 10.33pm on August 28, 2026, reporting a fight near the Kampung Resak junction.
Police who rushed to the scene arrested the 14 individuals involved. A saloon car, a pick-up truck and two fairly large grey stones were seized as part of the investigation.
Investigations found that on the day of the incident, the individuals had gathered unlawfully and rioted on the public road at the Kampung Resak junction, using the two stones as weapons.
It is understood that the 14 men arrived at the scene in a pick-up truck and a saloon car.
During the confrontation, a passenger in the saloon car was said to have suffered minor injuries after being struck by glass fragments when one of the vehicle’s windows shattered.
All those involved were reportedly from the same village, with the dispute erupting after mutual accusations of stealing palm oil fruit.
Separately, in the same court, two of the men charged over the riot were also fined RM4,000 or eight months’ jail each after pleading guilty to a charge under Section 427 of the Penal Code.
The pair were accused of mischief for damaging a saloon car at the scene.
Investigations found that at the time of the incident, the two men kicked and smashed the rear windscreen of the vehicle, causing losses estimated at RM4,361.
The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Aidil Akmal Sharidan. — DayakDaily
