PETALING JAYA: The senior citizen who slapped a non-Muslim at a convenience store in a shopping mall in Johor Baru will be charged again later on Wednesday (March 19).
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In a statement on Wednesday, the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) said it is committed to ensuring justice is served in accordance with the provisions of the law.
"During today's proceedings at the Johor Baru Magistrate's Court, technical issues in regard to the case filed have been resolved and the accused will be charged again late Wednesday," read the statement.
Earlier, Abdul Razak Ismail, 65 was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA), at the Magistrate's Court.
Abdul Razak Ismail, 65, was given a DNAA by Magistrate A. Shaarmini after Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Fatihah Mohd Nizam told the court that she had received instructions from the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) for the case to be referred to the AGC.
The order came after the court set the next mention date for the case and was setting bail for the suspect.
Earlier, the court rejected the accused’s guilty plea after he disputed the facts of the case.
Abdul Razak pleaded guilty when the charge, was framed under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt to a 21-year-old man at a convenience store in a shopping mall at about 3.45pm on Sunday (March 16).
However, he did not agree with the facts of the case read out to him.
According to the facts of the case, there was bruising on the victim’s cheeks, confirmed by medical officers who examined the victim.
Abdul Razak disagreed, claiming he did not slap the victim hard enough to cause bruising.
This led Magistrate Shaarmini to reject his guilty plea.