Woman fined for calling cop ‘idiot’

Penalised: Tong, who admitted insulting Kpl Izuan Hasim, was fined for obstructing police at a roadblock during the MCO enforcement period.

PETALING JAYA: A sales manager was fined RM3,100 for shouting the word “idiot” at a policeman and obstructing him while he was manning a Covid-19 Ops roadblock.

Tong Poh Kim, 44, who had earlier claimed trial on April 3, changed her plea when the case came up for mention before magistrate Zhafran Rahim Hamzah yesterday.

She admitted insulting Kpl Izuan Hasim Nor Hamzah by using the word “idiot” on him at Jalan Persiaran Surian at 9.40am on March 31. The charge under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act carries a maximum fine of RM100, if convicted.

Tong also pleaded guilty to a second charge of obstructing Kpl Izuan from carrying out his duty at the same place and time.

The charge under Section 186 of the Penal Code carries imprisonment of up to two years or fine up to RM10,000 or both, if convicted.

Earlier, Tong’s lawyer Datuk Suraj Singh asked the court to impose a fine on his client and not a prison sentence on grounds that Tong’s mother was in a coma due to a stroke since Feb 27.

“My client is remorseful and apologetic towards everyone including the police. Her guilty plea has saved the court’s time and cost from having to go to trial, ” he said.

Suraj said that Tong was emotionally distraught due to her mother’s condition and being trapped in a two-hour traffic caused her to act the way she did on the day of the incident.

“There is no violence in this case except for the word ‘idiot’ being uttered, ” Suraj said, adding that Tong was a first-time offender.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Zubaidah Mahat, however, asked the court to mete out a just sentence on grounds that the accused had committed a serious offence when she failed to respect the police.

Zhafran then fined Tong RM100 for uttering the word “idiot” in default of a day in jail.

For the second offence of obstructing a public servant’s duty, the magistrate fined the accused RM3,000 in default of a month in jail. Tong paid the fines.