KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 — An amateur football player, whose photo carrying a ‘kerambit’ went viral on social media, was sentenced to 14 days in prison by the Sessions Court here today for displaying the sharp weapon during a football match two weeks ago.
Judge Norina Zainol Abidin handed down the sentence to Muhammad Nur Iman Shafie Mohd Sulin, 22, who pleaded guilty to the charge, and ordered him to begin serving his prison term starting today.
The man was accused of brandishing a kerambit in a reckless manner, endangering the safety of others at the KLFA Football Centre in Desa Melawati here, at 12.45am on August 4.
The charge was brought under Section 336 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of three months' imprisonment, a fine of up to RM500, or both, upon conviction.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nidzuwan Abd Latif sought a fitting sentence to serve as a deterrent for the accused, aiming to prevent any recurrence of the offence.
However, the accused’s lawyer, Muhammad Syawal Mohd Razak, requested a more lenient sentence, contending that his client needed to help his parents with their small-scale nasi lemak business, adding that the accused’s father often experiences chest pain and persistent cough, while his mother suffers from high blood pressure, knee pain, and gallstones, which required weekly treatment at Selayang Hospital.
"The accused apologises, has shown remorse, and promises not to repeat the same offence. He has no prior criminal record and deserves a second chance to turn his life around," he said.
Based on the facts of the case, the accused, who was wearing a number seven jersey, brandished the weapon on the football field.
He was found carrying the ‘kerambit’ during a dispute that occurred during a football match at the KLFA Football Centre on August 4. The incident came to light after images of it went viral on social media.
Before the same judge, Muhammad Nur Iman Shafie pleaded not guilty to the charge of, together with four others, throwing four bottles that had been set on fire at an entertainment club on Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, here, causing damage to the front of the club.
The charge was brought under Section 435 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same code, carries a maximum penalty of 14 years' imprisonment and a fine if convicted.
Nidzuwan requested the court to impose bail of RM15,000 with one surety, while the accused's lawyer, Haziq Aizuddin Subhi, requested a lower bail amount, citing that his client had to help his family and has cooperated fully throughout the investigation.
Norina granted bail at RM12,000 with one surety and scheduled a mention of the case for 25 September for document submission. — Bernama
