KUALA LUMPUR — The senior citizen who slapped a non-Muslim man for eating in public during Ramadan will be charged today in Johor Bahru.
Johor Bahru Utara police chief ACP Balveer Singh Mahindar Singh said the state’s deputy public prosecutor made the decision to press the charge after studying investigation papers which police submitted yesterday.
The 65-year-old local man will be charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt, an offence that carries a penalty of imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of up to RM2,000, or both, if he is convicted.
“The suspect has no prior criminal record,” Balveer said in a statement posted on Facebook late last night.
“The public are urged not to violate the law. They should act rationally and leave matters to the enforcement authorities,” he added.
In the March 17 incident that came to light because of two videos posted to social media, an elderly man was seen confronting a younger man for eating in public in a convenience store.
The victim, identified as “Elijah” using the X account @bingbinge656, said on social media that he had explained to the elderly man that he was not a Muslim. However, the man persisted in asking him for his identity card and slapped him when he refused to hand it over.
Elijah said although the man’s son who was present had apologised for his father’s behaviour, he could not let the man get away with slapping him.
The incident has been condemned by National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang as a provocative act that goes against the spirit of unity and harmony in Malaysia’s multiracial society
Johor Bahru Utara police yesterday confirmed receiving a report lodged by a 21-year-old complainant on the matter and had recorded a statement from the 65-year-old man. – March 19, 2025