SIBU: TV3 comedy show ‘Sukan Tak Sentral’ host, Azizul Ammar Abu Hassan and show producer, Abdul Ghani Mokhtar were charged in the Magistrates’ Court here yesterday for insulting former national sprinter, Watson Nyambek.
Both Azizul Ammar, 30, from Kuala Lumpur and Abdul Ghani, 41, from Petaling Jaya, pleaded not guilty to the joint charge when it was read and explained to them through an interpreter in Malay language.
According to the charge sheet, they were accused of intentionally insulting Watson Nyambek and thereby gave provocation to him, knowing it to be likely that such provocation would cause him to break public peace.
The offence, under Section 504 of the Penal Code, provides for a jail term of up to two years or a fine or both, if convicted.
Magistrate Saiful Sayoti ordered both the accused to be released on RM3,500 bail in one surety, each pending pre-trial management case on 4 July.
Watson, 41, a full time trainer with the National Sports Council (NSC) was earlier reportedly to have lodged a police report against Azizul and the producer of the television programme for allegedly making degrading remarks against his late father.
In the report, it was stated that on 22 April at about 11.30am at a hotel here, Watson was informed by his wife, Fellizia Michael Samdom of a TV3 comedy show titled ‘Sukan Tak Sentral’ where the male host of the programme, Azizul Ammar and a female presenter Marsha Milan Londoh mentioned his late father’s name Nyambek and imitated the bleating of a goat while pronouncing the last syllable of his name.
Watson, in his report, stated that the way they mentioned the name was as if they were comparing his late father to an animal.
He subsequently proceeded with legal action despite apologies from TV3 and Primeworks Studios.
