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By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, July 20: Four men were fined RM1,500 or in default two months’ imprisonment each by the Magistrate’s Court here today for assaulting a deputy minister on May 30.
Azizol Abu Bakar, Junaidy Mat, Mohd Hafizan Hadenan and Mohammad Hafizzan Ramadani Abu Bakar, aged between 23 and 32, pleaded guilty when charged before Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali.
They were charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the same Code, which carries a penalty of up to one year imprisonment or a fine up to RM2,000, or both upon conviction.
The four men were jointly charged with intentionally causing harm to the 53-year-old victim by pushing, punching and kicking him. The incident occurred in front of a house at Jalan Wan Ali, Tabuan Jaya at around 9.06pm on May 30.
Previous reports stated that the victim was on his way to visit his family’s residence in preparation for Hari Gawai Dayak celebration when he noticed four men acting suspiciously and confronted them, leading to one of the men becoming dissatisfied with the reprimand and attempting to attack and assault the victim, resulting in injuries to the victim’s back.
Following the incident, the victim was taken to the hospital and a police report was lodged.
The four accused were subsequently arrested separately on June 4, in the areas of Tabuan Hilir, Semariang, Petra Jaya and Jalan Simpang Tiga.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Asymawi Ghazali appeared for the prosecution while the four accused were not represented by counsel. — DayakDaily