SHAH ALAM, April 21 — The High Court here today sentenced 33 men to 10 months in prison for rioting with firearms at an entertainment centre in Cheras.
The review of the case was conducted by High Court judge Datuk Aslam Zainuddin under Section 323 of the Criminal Procedure Code, from an earlier ruling handed down by the Magistrates’ Court for a fine of between RM2,000 and RM3,000.
The judge ordered the defendants to start serving their prison sentences today.
“This sentence is in addition to the sentence imposed by the magistrate’s court,” he said, as quoted by FMT.
Defence lawyer Damien Chan sought a stay of execution pending a submission to the Court of Appeal.
“The respondents must now apply for leave to appeal at the Court of Appeal. However, they may file a formal application with this court,” the judge said.
Meanwhile, the court issued a non-bailable warrant of arrest for another defendant, A. Ganesan, for failing to attend the proceedings.
A total of 34 suspects, aged 19 to 57, were charged with the possession of weapons including rifles, ammunition, explosives, and combustibles, as well as sticks and stones that are believed to have been used to attack an entertainment venue in Cheras on April 5.
The charge was filed under Section 148 of the Penal Code, which provides for a prison sentence of up to five years, a fine, or both, upon conviction.
On April 10, the Magistrate’s Court fined 32 defendants RM3,000 after they pleaded guilty to rioting and possessing weapons. The remaining defendants, two 19-year-olds, were fined RM2,000 each for the same offence, with all of them having paid their fines.
However, the High Court ordered a review to assess sentence accuracy, legitimacy, and proportionality under Section 323 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nordin Ismail said a fine alone is insufficient given that the offence involved deadly weapons.
“The public demands their sentence be made more severe, especially since dangerous weapons were used in the crime,” Nordin said, as quoted by FMT.
Chan had argued that the Magistrate’s Court sentence should be upheld as no victims were hurt in the attack.
“(The accused) also pleaded guilty at an early stage and have shown remorse,” he said, adding that there are discussions about compensation for Bao Li Jin Sdn Bhd, operator of the entertainment centre.
Lawyer Baljit Singh Sidhu, who represented Bao Li Jin as an observer, said the law must function to regulate society.
“What happened on the day of the incident was a systematic and organised plan that invoked fear in the community,” he said.
Baljit added that a stiffer punishment would send a strong message to future offenders, emphasising that commercial competition is no excuse for violence or property damage.
