KUCHING: The Magistrates’ Court here fined three contract labourers RM1,000 each, in default one month in prison, for rioting in a public place last month.
Qamal Khalid, 27, Andika Paidin, 31, and Muhammad Sopian Noor, 26, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Ling Phui Chuan to the charges under Section 160 of the Penal Code.
If convicted, it provides for up to six months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to RM1,000, or both.
The trio were involved in a roadside brawl along Jalan Gita Lama at around 10pm on Sept 28.
According to the case facts, the incident began when Sopian got into an argument with a man named Paeem.
Andika and Qamal intervened in an attempt to defuse the situation, but Sopian, who was intoxicated, became furious and attacked them instead.
A fight broke out between the three, with all of them exchanging punches. Sopian eventually fled the scene on a motorcycle but later got into an accident in front of a clinic.
Sopian then filed a police report, alleging that he had been attacked by two men armed with a knife while out walking to a village with his wife.
However, investigations revealed that his injuries were not caused by any sharp weapon but were the result of the accident.
All three men were charged with rioting and disturbing public order.
ASP Arman Ibrahim prosecuted the case while the three men were unrepresented by counsels.
