A 65-year-old Muslim man initially pleaded guilty in a case where he slapped a Chinese man for eating in public during Ramadan.
However, the judge overturned his plea after he disagreed with the case details.
The defendant later attempted to continue with his guilty plea, but the judge stated that conditional guilty pleas would not be accepted. The man immediately showed regret and looked at his son.
His son, sitting in the public gallery, repeatedly murmured: “Oh my god!”
Here’s what happened.
Dispute Over Case Details
Initially, the male defendant indicated he understood the charges and pleaded guilty.
However, he later disputed the case facts, specifically the mention that the 21-year-old Chinese victim had bruising on his right cheek after being slapped.
The defendant claimed the victim’s face showed no bruising.
The judge subsequently overturned the guilty plea due to the defendant’s disagreement with the case facts.
However, moments after the overturn, the prosecutor suddenly informed the magistrate about receiving instructions from the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) to classify the case as a Discharge Not Amounting to Acquittal (DNAA).
Incident Background
The public slapping incident occurred at 3:45 PM on 17 March 2025 in a shopping mall in Johor Bahru.
A Chinese man was slapped by a Malay man for eating during the fasting month of Ramadan.
Kes di Family Mart Angsana Mall, Johor Bahru:
Saya hanya makan secara biasa dan pak cik tu tanya saya orang Cina ke tak. Saya jawab ya sebab itu soalan biasa. Lepas tu dia nak saya tunjukkan IC saya walaupun kita tak boleh tunjuk IC kepada orang yang tidak dikenali.
(Bebenang) pic.twitter.com/qgnAOPLYH1— bingbingE656/Elijah 🇲🇾🍉 (@bingbinge656) March 16, 2025
Although the defendant’s children apologized on behalf of their father and the Chinese man accepted the apology, he could not overlook the disrespect and public slapping.
He decided to file a police report, which caught the attention of the Minister of National Unity Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang and sparked public discussion.
“This is a provocation that does not reflect the unity and harmony of our country. Our country can only develop if we unite and respect each other. We can live peacefully without any racial tension,” said Datuk Aaron.
Read on for a recap of the incident.
Chinese Malaysian Mistaken for Muslim
A Chinese Malaysian man was eating at a Family Mart convenience store on Sunday (16 March).
A Malay man approached him to question if he was Muslim, scolded him for eating during Ramadan, and then slapped him.
The Chinese man shared his experience on social media, explaining that he was eating at a Family Mart in Johor Bahru when a Malay man questioned his ethnicity.
“I said I’m not Muslim, but he demanded to see my ID card. We all know we shouldn’t show our ID to strangers,” he stated.
The man added that the Malay individual angrily questioned why he was eating during Ramadan. “I’m not Muslim and wasn’t disturbing him, yet he slapped me several times.”
The post went viral with 3.8 million views. Many Muslims commented to condemn the Malay man’s actions, stating this behaviour does not represent Islamic teachings.
Johor North District Police Chief Balveer Singh issued a statement confirming that the 21-year-old victim filed a police report around 9:00 PM on Sunday.
According to the victim, the incident occurred around 3:45 PM, and he was slapped twice on his right cheek by the Malay man.
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