KUALA LUMPUR – Yet another incident involving a journalist will be investigated by police under Section 160 of the Penal Code for committing affray, following an incident between a photographer and lawyer at the Shah Alam court complex on Tuesday morning.
Shah Alam police chief Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim said in a statement late last night that both parties involved in yesterday’s scuffle have since come forward to lodge reports, both at the Seksyen 9 police station.
They were identified as Zulfadhli Zaki, a 34-year-old press photographer from Utusan Malaysia and S. Suresh, a 50-year-old lawyer from Samirah Muzaffar’s legal team.
“Initial investigations suggest the incident happened during a crowded situation at the Shah Alam High Court lobby when a legal team was heading towards the courtroom, while media practitioners were covering the murder trial of the Cradle Fund CEO,” Iqbal said.
He said both men later received outpatient treatment at Shah Alam Hospital, as the photographer sustained injuries to his neck and arms, and the lawyer was injured on his forehead.
Both men reportedly made peace with each other after the incident, but said they would proceed with their reports.
Iqbal said the case is being investigated under Section 160 of the Penal Code for causing affray, which upon conviction carries a jail term of up to six months, a fine of up to RM1,000, or both.
Videos of the scuffle have since made the rounds on social media, showing Suresh trying to push his way through the crowd of photographers while shielding his client Samirah.
Samirah and two teenagers were acquitted by the high court here yesterday of a charge of murdering then-Cradle Fund chief executive officer Nazrin Hassan.
In May, an incident involving The Vibes journalist Qistina Nadia Dzulqarnain, allegedly assaulted by a security guard on duty at the Pudu Urban Transformation Centre, was also investigated by Dang Wangi police as an affray under Section 160.
The case involving Qistina was later dropped, with police informing the news portal the decision was due to inconclusive evidence. — The Vibes, June 22, 2022
