ALOR STAR: A man who was seen in a video challenging enforcement officers to a fistfight was sentenced to 15 days' jail and fined RM3,500 by the magistrate's court here today.
Magistrate Muhammad Zul Helmi Latif passed down the sentence after the accused Mohd Amirul Azmir Md Akhir, 33, pleaded guilty to the charge.
Amirul was charged with using criminal force to deter a public servant, Badi'uzzaman Aziz, 43, from executing his duties as an Alor Star City Council assistant enforcement officer, leading to a scuffle that escalated into Amirul kicking and throwing a stool at the victim.
The accused, from Taman Desa Kamela, Simpang Empat here, committed the offence at Dataran Alor Star, Lebuhraya Darulaman, at 11.38pm on March 14.
Deputy public prosecutor Nasruna Anhar Nordien asked the court to impose a hefty punishment on the accused as a deterrent as it involved a civil servant.
However, lawyer Zuriyah Mhd Nordin from the National Legal Aid Bureau, who represented the accused, pleaded for a lower sentence.
She said Amirul had elderly parents to support with his inconsistent income as an assistant with a rollerblade rental service provider at the scene.
"The accused has also saved the court's time by entering a guilty plea. He is remorseful for his action and has apologised."
Zul Helmi sentenced the accused to 15 days' jail and RM3,500 fine, in lieu of an eight-month jail term if he failed to settle the fine.
Police had arrested two traders who appeared in a viral video daring enforcement team to a fistfight during a raid on Dataran Alor Star on Thursday.
The two men were seen shouting at the enforcement team in protest of the seizure operation.
They were seen scuffling with the enforcement team, with one of them challenging the team to a fistfight before kicking a garbage bin.
The men were calmed down by members of the public before the raiding team left the scene.
The city council has banned any business activity at the site since its reopening in 2022.
