Kota Kinabalu: Three tourism promoters were each fined RM1,000 or sentenced to four months in jail by the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday for their involvement in a public altercation that recently 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 in the city centre 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 penalty of up to six months in prison, a fine of up to RM1,000, or both, on conviction.
Prosecutor Inspector Mohamad Hamidi Mohamad Hamzah informed the court that the incident occurred at a kiosk area near Jesselton Point following a dispute between two groups.
The altercation escalated into a physical scuffle, during which chairs were thrown, causing damage to a nearby kiosk’s property.
The complainant lodged a police report for safety reasons and to prevent any misunderstandings among the public, as the altercation occurred in front of his business premises.
Investigations later revealed that the incident had arisen from a misunderstanding over a joke, not from a disagreement regarding customers, as initially suggested online.
Despite the viral video of the incident circulating widely on Facebook, no apologies were made to the complainant by any of the involved parties, and none of them had lodged a police report.
In another unrelated case, a 28-year-old Indonesian man was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and fined RM1,500, or face two months’ jail, for assaulting his local girlfriend.
Yoseph Bale Tupen pleaded guilty to causing harm to the 18-year-old victim on the evening of March 17, 2026, at a workers’ quarters at a Memorial Park in Luyang.
He was charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code, which provides for a sentence of up to one year in jail, a fine of up to RM2,000, or both, on conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Kareena Kaur Gill Karamjit Singh informed the court that the victim had filed a police report on March 18, detailing the assault that occurred after a dispute.
Investigations revealed that Yoseph became upset after the victim went out with friends without informing him, leading to an argument.
Yoseph then assaulted the victim by repeatedly squeezing her breast and punching her shoulder, resulting in bruises.
Initially, the victim refrained from reporting the incident out of fear her family would find out.
Further investigations uncovered that the couple had been in a relationship for over two years, during which Yoseph had previously exhibited aggressive behaviour during arguments.
The court ordered that Yoseph be referred to the Immigration Department following his sentence.
