A Chinese national was today sentenced by the magistrates’ court to one month’s jail and a RM2,000 fine after pleading guilty to injuring an immigration officer at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) last week.
Magistrate Khairatul Anisah Jelani handed down the sentence to Fang Fu Yuan, 31, after the charge was read to her in Mandarin by a court interpreter.
According to the charge, Fang intentionally caused hurt to immigration officer Nordiana Atira Shafinas Abdul Rahman while the officer was on duty at Level 4, Departure Hall, KLIA1, at about 8.00pm on Aug 13. The offence, framed under Section 332 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant, carries a penalty of up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine, or both.
Facts of the case state that the victim had instructed Fang and her three family members to step away from the immigration counter—after it was found there was no record of their entry into Malaysia—and to allow other travellers to be processed. Fang then became aggressive, raised her voice, pulled the victim’s headscarf, and pushed the victim’s face and head against a pillar.
The assault resulted in head trauma, injuries to the left side of the face, soreness beneath the eye, and swelling and redness. A medical officer later confirmed soft-tissue injuries on the right side of the head.
Fang was arrested by a KLIA Criminal Investigation Division team at the Level 5 police beat base at 9.45pm the same day.
Earlier, defence counsel Tai Ying Fung and Jason Anthony sought leniency, saying Fang was remorseful, had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, and fully cooperated with investigators. They noted she is young, has no prior criminal record, and is the mother of two children, aged 1½ and 5, who are fully dependent on her, with the family in Malaysia without other support. The defence argued the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding and communication difficulties with the immigration officer, was spontaneous, and not premeditated, urging the court to impose only a fine and pointing out that Fang had already been remanded for five days.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Luvithaa Veerasan pressed for a deterrent sentence, stressing public interest. “Even if the accused acted out of emotion, her actions injured a public servant. The court must send a clear message that such offences are unacceptable,” she said.
After considering both sides, the court ordered Fang to serve one month’s imprisonment from the date of her arrest, Aug 13, and to pay a RM2,000 fine, in default two months’ jail. The accused appeared calm as the sentence was read and confirmed that she understood the court’s decision.
