KOTA SAMARAHAN: A 53-year-old man was fined RM2,500, in default three months in prison, by the Magistrate’s Court here on today for stalking his neighbour.
The accused pleaded guilty before Magistrate Shafiza Datuk Abdul Razak Tready to a charge under Section 507A(1) of the Penal Code, punishable under Section 507A(3) of the same Code.
If convicted, the offence carries a penalty of up to three years in prison, a fine, or both.
He committed the offence at a house in Taman Ceria, Kota Samarahan, between August and September.
According to the facts of the case, the man had repeatedly sent WhatsApp messages to his neighbour, that included Facebook links, emojis and other messages that made the victim feel uncomfortable.
Initial investigations found that the complainant and the accused, who lives in the same neighbourhood, have known each other for at least five years.
The issue began in August when the complainant installed an awning in front of her house that was lower than the accused’s.
After being told off by him, she adjusted the side of her awning.
Following that, the accused began sending messages to the complainant through WhatsApp, which soon became frequent and intrusive.
Some of the messages sent included love and heart emojis, greetings such as “good morning”, “good night”, and “miss you” as well as photos of food, his blood pressure readings, his work documents, and several Facebook links related to food, tourism, gold prices, health issues, and current events in Malaysia.
Despite only communicating about house-related matters, the accused continued to send her these messages, which made the complainant increasingly anxious and uneasy.
The complainant, who often stays home alone while her husband and children are away at work and school, eventually felt unsafe and decided to lodge a police report fearing that something untoward might happen.
Following investigations, the man was charged under Section 507A of the Penal Code for causing distress and fear to the complainant through his repeated messages.
Deputy Public Prosecutor, Fadzri Azham, prosecuted the case, while the accused was represented by Yong Suk Hui from the National Legal Aid Foundation.
