BATU PAHAT – Three students and two unemployed men were brought before the magistrates’ court here today on charges of participating in a prohibited activity without wearing a mask in Parit Raja two months ago.
The accused – Muhammad Farhan Mhd Basri, Nur Muhamad Afif Norazam, Faizul Naim Ahmad, Muhamad Al Azim Abd Rasid and Muhamad Hafizul Helmi Zailan, aged between 19 and 23 – pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out by magistrate Mohd Syafiq Mustaza.
About 2am on May 13, they were found to have gathered for a prohibited activity without wearing a mask at a traffic light junction.
All are accused of violating Regulation 9 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures Within Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2021, and face sentencing under Regulation 17(1), which carries a jail term not exceeding six months, or a fine of not more than RM50,000, or both.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Hayatul Wirdah Mohd Yunos requested the court to consider a RM6,000 bail for each accused.
However, lawyer Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid, representing all five suspects, appealed for a lower amount as three of his clients are students and the other two, jobless.
Syafiq set bail at RM1,000 with one surety for each accused, and August 26 for remention. – Bernama, July 14, 2021
