Kota Kinabalu: A 47-year-old man was jailed for five months by the Magistrate’s Court here for assaulting his wife during a dispute over their youngest child.
Mohammad Sarin pleaded guilty before Magistrate Dzul Elmy Yunus to voluntarily causing injury to his 40-year-old wife at a guardhouse of Hap Seng Star Sdn Bhd in Inanam at about 5.30pm on June 3 this year.
The offence is punishable under Section 323 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 326A of the same Code. Section 323 provides for imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of up to RM2,000, or both, while Section 326A allows for the maximum term of imprisonment to be doubled where the offence is committed against a spouse.
The court heard from the prosecution that Mohammad became involved in an argument with his wife over custody of their youngest child.
During the quarrel, he picked up a wooden pallet leg and swung it towards the complainant, striking the mobile phone she was holding and her hand, causing pain and injuries.
Investigations found that Mohammad later admitted to assaulting his wife in a fit of anger and also handed over the wooden object used in the incident to police upon his arrest.
In a separate case, a 56-year-old contractor was placed on a one-year bond of good behaviour after admitting to insulting a woman.
Dzul Elmy ordered Hairudin Katab to be bound over for one year in the sum of RM1,000 with one surety under Section 294 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Hairudin pleaded guilty to uttering insulting words intended to outrage the modesty of a 43-year-old woman at KCC Electrical Sdn Bhd, Hiong Tiong Industrial Centre, Jalan Tuaran, Inanam, at about 10am on June 13, 2025.
He was charged under Section 509 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of up to five years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both, upon conviction.
The court heard that the victim was attending a work-related meeting at the said location when the incident occurred.
During the meeting, Hairudin became dissatisfied over a matter under discussion and uttered words intended to insult the woman’s modesty in the presence of others, causing her embarrassment.
Counsel Hairul V. Othman, representing Hairudin, requested a bond of good behaviour on the grounds that Hairudin was a first-time offender and suffered from several medical conditions.
Hairul also submitted that the incident arose from a misunderstanding relating to a project and was not premeditated, but occurred in the heat of a discussion.
Inspector Mohamad Hamidi Mohamad Hamzah, prosecuting, applied for an appropriate sentence.
