KUALA LUMPUR: A Pakistani man who slapped an imam while he was leading Friday prayers last month, has been fined RM12,000 by a magistrates' court here.
Magistrate Siti Radziah Kamarudin fined Shabir Ahmad Khan, 31, RM1,000 for slapping imam Mohd Zuhairee Ahmad Yatim, 39, during the prayers at the National Mosque in Jalan Perdana here on Sept 18 under Section 323 of the Penal Code.
The magistrate also fined Shabir another RM1,000 for causing disturbance at about 1.30pm at the mosque the same day.
Magistrate Siti Radziah finally fined Shabir RM10,000 for overstaying after his social visit pass expired on July 17.
She instructed Shabir who is from Srinagar, Kashmir, to undergo three months' jail, if he failed to pay the fines. However, he paid the fines.
The sentences against him were meted out after he admitted to the charges.
On Sept 30, Shabir was ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation at Hospital Bahagia in Tanjung Rambutan, Perak, after he did not respond to the interpreter when the charges were read to him.
Earlier in mitigation, Shabir's lawyer Shahrin Rosli submitted that his client had been remanded since Sept 18 and urged the court to give Shabir a minimum fine as a jail sentence was not suitable.
Shahrin said a jail sentence would make his client more depressed and would cause fear to other prisoners as his illness was aggressive in nature.
"A report from Hospital Bahagia has suggested that my client obtain follow-up treatment from a psychologist in Kashmir," he said.
Meanwhile Deputy Public Prosecutor Nor Diana Nor Azwa urged the court to mete out a deterrent sentence against the accused.
Medical reports showed that he suffered from bipolar mood disorder.
Based on the statement of facts, the accused had pushed the iman while he was leading Friday prayers. The imam attempted to continue with the prayers but the accused then slapped him on the left cheek.
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