Day in court: Police officers escorting Cheng at the Magistrate’s Court in Johor Baru.
JOHOR BARU: A Singaporean man was fined RM9,100 by a Magistrate’s Court here for damaging a Malaysian man’s car and spitting in the driver’s face during a road rage incident.
Human resources manager Cheng Kuan Poh, 40, pleaded guilty to the two offences, which were heard by Magistrate A. Shaarmini yesterday.
In the first charge, he was accused of committing mischief by damaging Ng Yeow Meng’s Malaysian-registered car at Jalan Sutera Tanjung 8/4, Taman Sutera Utama, here, at 2.39pm on Saturday.
Cheng was also charged with insulting the modesty of 32-year-old Ng by way of spitting on his face at the same place and time.
The two charges were framed under Section 426 and Section 509 of the Penal Code respectively.
Cheng said he understood the charges and punishment, which were read to him in Mandarin.
His lawyer Norfarahin Mohd Yazid asked the court for a lower fine, noting that he has to take care of his sick parents, who are also bedridden.
“He earns S$2,000 (RM6,595) as a human resources manager and this is his first offence,” she said.
The magistrate then ordered Cheng to pay a fine of RM4,300 in default six months’ jail and RM4,800 in default six months’ jail for the first and second charges respectively.
Earlier, before entering the courtroom, Cheng, who wore a face mask, stopped in his tracks at the sight of media members and turned away while saying, “I don’t want, I don’t want.”
The court police officers then tugged him on the arm and nudged him forward to enter the courtroom.
It was reported that Johor Baru North OCPD Asst Comm Balveer Singh said the Singaporean was detained on Sunday to assist in the investigation after a video of an altercation between two men outside a car went viral on social media.
The video, recorded by a woman seated inside the vehicle, showed the Singaporean shouting at them and repeatedly kicking the car, damaging it.
