JOHOR BARU - Police have confirmed that they are investigating an incident where a non-Muslim man was scolded and slapped while eating at a convenience store in a shopping mall during Ramadan.
Johor Baru North Officer Commanding Police Director Balveer Singh said they spotted a video on X showing a verbal altercation between two men at a business premises.
“A 21-year-old local man lodged a police report at 9.08pm on March 17. Investigations revealed that the incident occurred at around 3.45pm that day at a shopping mall here.
“The victim alleged that he was slapped twice on the right cheek by an unknown man,” he said here on March 18.
Mr Balveer added that the dispute was believed to have started when the suspect asked about the complainant’s religion and requested to see his Malaysia identity card.
He said that when the victim refused, the situation escalated.
“The case is being investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt,” he added.
He also reminded the public to always abide by the law and act rationally to avoid resorting to violence.
Meanwhile, state Islamic religious affairs committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid advised the public not to take matters into their own hands.
He said the action by the Muslim man to slap the young man in public was against the teachings of Islam and a violation of the law.
“While preventing wrongdoing is commendable, we must first verify the facts. Islam teaches us to investigate matters carefully before making any judgement.
“No one has the right to punish others. If there is a concern, report it to us, and we will investigate, issue notices, or take legal action, if necessary,” he said to reporters after conducting inspections on food outlets at Pandan wholesale market yesterday.
He was responding to viral videos showing a man being slapped by a stranger for eating at a convenience store in a shopping mall.
Meanwhile, Bernama quoted National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang as saying that the incident was an act of provocation that went against the spirit of unity and harmony in Malaysia’s multicultural society. THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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