An elderly man was fined RM2,500 by the Magistrate’s Court today after pleading guilty to touching and pinching a woman’s cheek in Perak Tengah earlier this month.
Magistrate Nurul Izalina Rajaai also ordered Samsuri Kamaruddin, 63, to serve six months in jail if he fails to pay the fine. She advised him to respect personal boundaries, even with people he knows.
“We all have acquaintances, but we must observe limits. With anyone who is not your mahram, there’s no need to touch their cheek or hand. Your actions not only humiliate the victim but also bring shame to your own family,” she said.
Samsuri was charged with using criminal force on a 23-year-old woman with the intention of outraging her modesty at about 4pm on September 5 at a sundry shop in Simpang 4, Bota Kanan.
The charge, under Section 354 of the Penal Code, carries a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine, whipping, or any two of these penalties upon conviction.
According to the facts of the case, the man twice touched the woman’s left cheek while she was tallying accounts at the counter. Despite being scolded, he went on to pinch her cheek, leaving her traumatised and afraid to return to work.
His lawyer, Nurul Syuhada Mohd Yusof, pleaded for leniency, saying Samsuri is unemployed, supports two children and has a wife with heart disease.
Deputy public prosecutor Wan Mohd Ameerul Nazhif Wan Zulfikri handled the prosecution. Samsuri paid the fine.
