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Kota Kinabalu: Three tourism promoters were each fined RM1,000 or four months’ jail by the Magistrate’s Court here on Thursday for fighting in a public place in the city centre in an incident that went viral on social media.

Abdul Hafiz Mohd Sain, 31, Abdul Qayum, 27, and Akmadir Kamadir, 31, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Dzul Elmy Yunus to engaging in a public affray at a kiosk area at 10.30am on March 28.

The offence under Section 160 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same Code carries a jail term of up to six months or a fine of up to RM1,000, or both, on conviction.

Prosecuting officer Inspector Mohamad Hamidi Mohamad Hamzah told the court the incident occurred near Jesselton Point following an argument between two groups which escalated into a scuffle involving chairs being thrown and causing damage to a nearby kiosk.

Investigations found the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding during a joke and not a dispute over customers as initially circulated online, with no apology made to the complainant and a video of the incident later widely shared on Facebook.