KUALA LUMPUR – Seven people have been remanded for rioting at a Ramadan bazaar in Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya, where they had fought over a stall lot.
Petaling Jaya police chief Shahrulnizam Ja’afar @ Ismail said the seven individuals, comprising four men and three women in their 20s to 40s, were arrested at around 6.45pm yesterday, and are under remand today and tomorrow.
“Initial investigations found that they rioted because of a fight for a trading lot at the Ramadan bazaar,” Shahrulnizam said in a statement this evening.
Four of the suspects each had a prior record for drug abuse, and two of them had an additional record for a criminal offence, he added.
Police also confiscated a fork lock and a plastic chair that are believed to have been used in the fight.
Shahrulnizam said the case is being investigated under Section 148 of the Penal Code which pertains to possession of deadly weapons. The penalty is imprisonment for up to five years, or a fine, or both upon conviction.
According to Berita Harian, the incident was between two families and was sparked when a male vendor claimed another female vendor had set up her stall beyond the space allocated to her, encroaching into his lot.
The situation became aggravated when the male vendor grabbed a steel rod and tried to use it on the female vendor.
Both parties were brought to the police station where they agreed to settle the matter amicably, having known each other from before.
However, Berita Harian reported that the male vendor’s sons were still dissatisfied, and came to the bazaar at around 5.30pm yesterday and started brawling with other family members of the female vendor. – March 28, 2024