KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam, Petaling Jaya Umno division chief Abdul Mutalif Abdul Rahim and two others faced charges in the Magistrate’s Court here today over a fracas at a bus stop in the city last week where a university student was injured.
Lokman Noor, 46, who is also president of non-governmental organisation Pemantau Malaysia Baharu, Abdul Mutalif Abdul Rahim, 48, a younger brother of Baling MP Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, Salmon Arif Budiman Muchlis, 48, a clerk at the Lembah Pantai Umno office and Mohd Norzakifah Mohammed Nawi, 44, a despatch worker at a legal firm, were charged before Magistrate Umzarul An-Nur Umar.
All four claimed trial after their charges were read out to them through a court interpreter.
The four along with another individual who is still at large were accused of participating in an illegal assembly and causing a public disturbance with one of them hurting Wong Yang Ke, 23, a Universiti Malaya student, by holding him in an a choke hold and pulling his hair.
They were accused of doing so at the bus stop in front of Restoran Amjal, Jalan Pantai Baharu, Brickfields, here at 3.30pm on March 22.
The charges were framed under sections 323 and 149 of the Penal Code that provides for a jail sentence of up to a year or a maximum fine of RM2,000 or both, if convicted.
Lokman Noor (better known as Lokman Adam) also claimed trial to intentionally causing loss to the victim by tearing up a placard that he was carrying at the same place, date and time.
He was charged under Section 426 for this offence and faces up to five years jail or fine or both, if convicted.
Abdul Mutalif, meanwhile, also pleaded not guilty to voluntarily hurting the right thumb of Siti Mariam Mohamad Nizar, 25, an intern of a news portal, at Restoran Amjal, Jalan Pantai Baharu, Brickfields, at 3.45pm on March 22 and is liable to be punished under Section 323 of the Penal Code, if convicted.
He also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge under the same code of using criminal force on the victim at the same place, date and time.
Deputy public prosecutor Adam Mohamed @ Mamat asked for bail to be set at RM10,000 with one surety for each charge except for the charge against Lokman Noor for the alleged placard offence.
Defence counsel N Logendran urged the court to set a low bail, saying that Lokman was living hand-to-mouth now because he has no job and also need to look after his 10 children and a wife who is pregnant with their 11th child.
Counsel Azrul Zulkifli Stork, representing Abdul Mutalif and Datuk M Reza Hassan, acting for the other two accused, also urged the court to set minimum bail citing that they had cooperated with the police and had no previous criminal records.
The court allowed bail at RM9,000 for Lokman Noor, Abdul Mutalif at RM6,000 and Salmon Arif Budiman and Mohd Norzakifah at RM4,000 each and set re-mention on May 16.
Prior to this, the media had reported on the fracas involving supporters of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the scene. — Bernama
