KUCHING: A 43-year-old part-time driver has been fined RM5,000, or in default six months’ imprisonment, by the Magistrate’s Court here for criminal intimidation involving a knife during a dispute with his neighbour.
Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan meted out the sentence on Kuan Poh Chung after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 506 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of up to seven years’ imprisonment, or a fine, or both.
According to the charge, Kuan committed the offence at about 11 am on Apr 24, 2026, at a house in Jalan Stutong, where he threatened his neighbour with a weapon.
Based on the facts of the case, the incident occurred when the complainant and her family were carrying out a prayer ritual by burning joss paper to commemorate her late father.
Kuan, who is their neighbour, approached the group while armed with a knife and began scolding them. He allegedly warned that if they continued burning the paper offerings, he would kill them and set their vehicles on fire.
Alarmed by the threats, the complainant lodged a police report.
Police investigations later found that the incident had been captured on a dashcam belonging to one of the complainant’s family members.
The footage showed the accused brandishing a knife and directing it towards the complainant and her family.
Kuan was subsequently arrested and brought to the Kuching Police Headquarters (IPD) for further investigation.
In mitigation, defence counsel said the accused was remorseful and regretted his actions, assuring the court that he would not reoffend.
He submitted that the accused was a first-time offender with no prior criminal record and had been a law-abiding citizen.
The court was also told that Kuan earns about RM1,500 a month as a part-time driver and is the sole caregiver for his elderly mother, who is wheelchair-bound and suffers from hypertension and diabetes.
Counsel further argued that the incident was partly triggered by provocation from the complainant and her family during a disagreement over open burning near their shared residential area.
However, the defence acknowledged that the accused was still at fault and appealed for a lenient sentence in the form of a fine without imprisonment.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Fauzulutfi Suriani.
