Fasting slap: Senior citizen to be slapped with criminal charge

Summary

• An elderly man who allegedly slapped a non-Muslim for eating in public during Ramadan will be charged in court today.

• The 65-year-old suspect, who police say has no previous criminal record, will be charged with voluntarily causing hurt under Section 323 of the Penal Code, and can be jailed up to one year or fined up to RM2,000.

An elderly man who allegedly slapped a non-Muslim for eating at a convenience store in the daytime during Ramadan will be charged in court today.

This is according to a press statement by Johor Bahru Utara district police chief Balveer Singh Mahindar Singh released late last night.

"The investigation paper on this case was submitted to the Johor DPP office on March 18, and the DPP has decided to press charges against the suspect under Section 323 of the Penal Code.

"The suspect will be charged at the Johor Bahru court on March 19.

"The suspect is a 65-year-old man. Based on police checks, the suspect has no previous criminal records," Balveer said.

Section 323 of the Penal Code stipulates punishment for voluntarily causing hurt. It provides a maximum one-year jail sentence or up to RM2,000 fine, or both.

It was reported on Monday that a stranger slapped a non-Muslim man in public for eating at a convenience store in Johor Bahru.

Slapped several times

The incident, which occurred inside a shopping mall, was captured on video.

According to the victim, who identified himself on X as Elijah, he was having a meal at a convenience store when his attacker, an elderly man, confronted him.

"I was just eating normally and the uncle asked if I am Chinese or not. I said yes, because that’s a normal question.

"Then he wanted me to show my IC, even though we cannot just show our IC to strangers," he said in a series of postings on X.

"After that, he asked me if I’m Muslim or non-Muslim, and he scolded me for eating (in public) during the fasting month, even though I am not Muslim and I did not disturb him.

"He even slapped me several times," said the victim who shared two short videos of the incident.

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