Penang state executive councillor Fahmi Zainol pleads not guilty to a charge of voluntarily causing hurt to his wife in a Balik Pulau court
BALIK PULAU: Penang Agrotechnology, Food Security and Cooperative Development Committee chairman Fahmi Zainol pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court here to a charge of voluntarily causing hurt to his wife.
Fahmi, 35, who is also the Pantai Jerejak assemblyman, was charged with committing the offence against Nur Hidayah Abd Jabar, 35, at Persiaran Pantai Jerejak, Bayan Lepas at about 10 pm on Feb 22.
The charge was framed under Section 323 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 326A of the same Code. The offence provides for a maximum prison sentence of two years, or a fine of up to RM2,000, or both, upon conviction.
The prosecution, led by Penang Prosecution Director Datuk Nazran Mohd Sham, proposed bail of RM5,000 in one surety. Fahmi’s counsel Shamsher Singh Thind requested that the bail be reduced to RM1,000.
He argued that his client, a PKR elected representative, had fully cooperated with the police and that the offence is bailable. Magistrate Chia Huey Ting allowed bail of RM2,000 in one surety and fixed April 28 for mention.
Earlier, the defence informed the court that a notice of preliminary objection regarding the validity of the charge had been filed. The defence argued that the offence had been compounded by the victim.
However, the prosecution maintained that the case involves an offence under Section 326A of the Penal Code, which is non-compoundable. The court subsequently dismissed the application to stay the reading of the charge against the accused.
