Foreign duo fined for indecent behaviour at running event

KOTA TINGGI - Two foreign men who behaved indecently during the 2024 Pan Asia International Running event were fined RM5,000 each by the Magistrate's Court here today after pleading guilty to charges of committing an obscene act last Friday.

Magistrate Nurkhalida Farhana Abu Bakar ordered Taiwanese Arthur Wang, 66, and Indian national Prasad Papoli, 70, to be sentenced to one month in prison if they failed to pay the fine.

According to the charge, the two senior citizens were charged with committing obscene acts and annoying others in a public place by wearing revealing clothes between 4 pm and 6 pm on Oct 4.

Wang is accused of committing the act on the main road of Jalan Desaru, while Prasad is accused of committing the offence on the grounds of the Lotus Desaru Hotel in Pengerang here.

The duo were charged under Section 294(a) of the Penal Code for committing an obscene act in a public place and face punishment under the same section, which provides a maximum imprisonment of three months with a fine or both upon conviction.

Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Abdul Ghafar Ab Latif requested the court to impose a sentence that would teach a lesson to not only the two accused, but also to foreign and locals to dress politely and follow the cultural customs and norms of the country they are visiting.

However, Wang, who was unrepresented, appealed to the court for a low fine because he did not understand the country's culture and that he wore the clothing of the indigenous people on 'Orchid Island' in Taiwan to promote their culture.

"I apologise to the government and the people of Malaysia for this offence to the point of offending the people in this country and promise not to repeat the act," said the retired activist.

Prasad, also unrepresented, appealed to the court for a low fine because he is already 70 years old and came here to participate in a charity program to help the poor.

Yesterday, it was reported that police detained three men, including two foreigners, to assist in their investigations involving indecent and obscene behaviour incidents during the Pan Asia 2024 international running program in Kota Tinggi.

Following the arrest, police also seized clothes and accessories believed to have been used during the run, including a red sari, a red skirt, three pieces of silver cardboard, and a silver imitation spear. - BERNAMA