A complaint was filed against a Pakistani businessman at the Kota Marudu Native Court by a citizen, regarding a viral audio recording that angered the Kadazandusun Murut Rungus (KDMR) community.
The court’s district chief Datuk Baintin Adun said that Amir Ali Khan Nawatay was found guilty of six offences in the viral voice video recording where he insulted the KDMR community of Kota Marudu and was slapped with a native customary fine of eight buffaloes and eight gongs.
Photo via The Star
The accused is given one month to settle the customary fine or face a RM4,000 fine or a 16-month jail term, or both.
Among the offences found in the audio clip were making threats, using foul language and inciting the anger of the community, “This time, we made the trial known to the public in less than 12 hours, because we wanted to avoid any untoward incidents,” Baintin said.
“In the future, we would like to advise the Pakistani citizen, who has been living in Sabah for many years, as well as everyone else to refrain from using race or race-based sentiments in arguments, and they should focus on the name of individuals they have issues with,” he added.
The trial was initially set for June 17 but was postponed as the accused had to undergo a mental assessment at Mesra Hospital in Bukit Padang in the state capital.
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
