By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Sept 2: A routine anti-smoking enforcement check at a Jalan Satok eatery turned violent on Monday, leaving two health officials injured and another shaken after being threatened.
The 56-year-old smoker was fined a total of RM11,000 by three separate Magistrates’ Courts here today, with jail terms awaiting him if he fails to pay. He pleaded guilty to all three charges.
The incident began after he was caught smoking in a designated no-smoking area and issued a compound notice.
According to the facts of the case, a 42-year-old assistant health officer and his team were at the eatery at about 9.35am on Aug 31 to conduct enforcement checks under Act 852, which governs smoking-related offences.
When asked to sign the compound notice, the man became aggressive and assaulted two officers.
He struck one officer on the right shoulder and another on the forehead, causing soft-tissue injuries that were later confirmed through medical examinations.
He then threatened the officer who had issued the compound, warning that he would confront him outside the premises.
The threat left the complainant fearful and anxious, according to the court facts.
Police were alerted shortly after the incident and arrested the man at about 4.20pm the same day at a house in Petra Jaya.
For the two counts of voluntarily causing hurt to public servants under Section 332 of the Penal Code, Magistrate Nur Syaheeqa Nazwa Radzali fined him RM2,000, in default two months’ imprisonment, while Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan imposed a separate RM5,000 fine, in default three months’ jail.
On the criminal intimidation charge under Section 506 of the Penal Code, Magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu imposed a further RM4,000 fine, or six months’ imprisonment in default.
The three fines amounted to RM11,000.
The cases were prosecuted separately by Deputy Public Prosecutors Muhammad Afiq Safly Nor Kazly and Muhammad Aidil Akmal Sharidan, together with prosecuting officer Inspector Siti Radhiah Abdul Rahman. The accused was unrepresented. — DayakDaily
