Case to be recharged later.
A 65-year-old man accused of slapping a non-Muslim for eating in public during Ramadan has been granted a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) by the Johor Bahru Magistrates’ Court today.
Magistrate A Shaarmini made the ruling after Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Fatihah Mohd Nizam stated that she had received instructions to refer the investigation papers back to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) in Putrajaya.
The accused, Abdul Razak Ismail, initially pleaded guilty when the charge was read before Shaarmini. He was charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt, an offence punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of RM2,000, or both.
The incident occurred at 3:45 pm last Sunday at a convenience store in a shopping mall, where Abdul Razak allegedly slapped a 21-year-old man on the right cheek. A health officer later confirmed that the victim sustained a bruise.
Despite his initial guilty plea, Abdul Razak later disputed the case facts presented in court. As a result, Shaarmini rejected the plea and ordered him to enter his defence.
However, during the bail argument, Nur Fatihah informed the court that she had received new instructions from the AGC to classify the case as DNAA, stating that the matter would be reviewed, and the accused could be re-charged later.
A video of the incident, widely shared on X (formerly Twitter), showed an elderly man reprimanding the victim for eating openly during Ramadan at the Angsana Shopping Mall in Tampoi.
Tensions escalated when the accused demanded that the victim show his MyKad to prove he was not Muslim. The victim refused, leading to an altercation in which the elderly man allegedly slapped him multiple times.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has condemned the incident, calling for an end to such aggression.
In a statement relayed by his senior press secretary Tunku Nashrul Abaidah, Anwar emphasised that Ramadan should foster inner strength and peace rather than provoke anger or disorder.
“What is the use of discussing Islam and its beauty, especially during Ramadan, if it does not build inner strength, distance us from anger, and maintain peace and order?” Nashrul stated during a briefing by the Prime Minister’s Office today.