JB slapping incident: Man claims trial despite initial guilty plea
An elderly man was charged for allegedly slapping a non-Muslim man in a shopping mall on March 16.
PHOTO: Screengrab/X/@bingbinge656
PUBLISHED ONMarch 20, 2025 4:05 AMByDana LeongA Malaysian man who slapped a non-Muslim man for eating in public during Ramadan has claimed trial in court on Wednesday (March 19).
The 65-year-old man, Abdul Razak Ismail, was charged at the Magistrate's Court in Johor Baru under Section 323 for voluntarily causing hurt to 21-year-old Elijah Ling Zhao Zhong, reported Sin Chew Daily.
Kes di Family Mart Angsana Mall, Johor Bahru:
— bingbingE656/Elijah 🇲🇾🍉 (@bingbinge656) March 16, 2025
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
The incident occurred on Sunday (March 19) evening at a shopping mall in Tampoi, when Abdul Razak confronted Ling and slapped him.
He had allegedly demanded to see Ling's identification card to verify his religion, before slapping him.
If convicted, Abdul Razak will face a maximum jail sentence of one year, a fine of up to RM2,000 (S$600), or both.
Abdul Razak pleaded guilty to his charges during the morning session in court, reported Malaysian media.
However, he disputed several parts of the prosecution's case, which stated that he slapped the man at a convenience store in a shopping mall at 3.45pm on Sunday.
A medical report also revealed that Ling suffered bruising on his cheek following the incident.
"The timing is wrong. I slapped him, but not hard enough to leave a bruise," said Abdul Razak.
The magistrate proceeded to reject his guilty plea due to the several disputes, after which his case got classified as a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA).
PM Anwar Ibrahim weighs in
Abdul Razak was later re-charged in the afternoon, where he claimed trial and pleaded not guilty.
Abdul Razak was represented by lawyer Salleh Togimin in court, who appealed against the RM8,000 (S$2,405) bail set by the prosecution, citing that Abdul Razak was a retiree who has three children to support.
His bail was eventually set at RM2,000 and his case is scheduled for mention on April 29 for the submission of documents, according to the Malay Mail.
The case has garnered significant attention online and prompted a response from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim who stressed the importance of mutual respect.
"I believe issues touching on racial and religious sensitivities can be avoided if everyone respects one another in order to build a civilised country," said Anwar in a message relayed by his senior press secretary on Wednesday.
For more original AsiaOne articles, visit here.
