TWO MEN FINED FOR CAUSING DISTURBANCE DURING SONGKRAN FESTIVAL

PETALING JAYA, April 25 (Bernama) -- Two men were fined RM300 and RM350 each by the Magistrates’ Court here today for causing annoyance to the public during the recent Songkran Water Festival at a shopping mall in Damansara. 

Ch’ng Jin Wei, 27, and Ng Boo Sheng, 28, both air-conditioning maintenance workers, pleaded guilty during separate proceedings before Magistrates Shahril Anuar Ahmad Mustapha and Farah Azura Mohd Saad.

The court ordered Ch’ng to serve 14 days in jail if he fails to pay the RM300 fine, while Ng faces 10 days' imprisonment if he does not pay the RM350 fine.

The two were jointly charged with causing a public nuisance during the festival at around 11 pm on April 20.

The charge, framed under Section 268 of the Penal Code, carries a maximum fine of RM400 upon conviction.

During mitigation, Ng’s counsel Datuk Suraj Singh appealed for a lenient sentence, citing his client’s cooperation, early guilty plea, and the fact that this was his first offence. He also said Ng had been remanded for two days and sustained injuries during the incident.

Ch’ng’s lawyer, Datin Raj Preet Kaur, also urged for leniency, saying her client was remorseful and had apologised to all parties involved.

Deputy public prosecutors Ainul Athirah Jamalullail and Lim Leong Hui, however, requested a fair sentence to serve as a reminder for responsible conduct during public events.

Police had earlier detained five individuals following a scuffle that reportedly broke out during the Songkran celebration at the shopping mall.

Petaling Jaya police chief ACP Shahrulnizam Ja’afar said preliminary investigations suggested the altercation stemmed from a disagreement over filling water guns used at the event.

A 56-second video of the incident, showing several individuals throwing chairs during the commotion, had circulated widely on social media.

-- BERNAMA