Eleven men, including college student, claim trial to armed rioting charge outside Air Itam school

GEORGE TOWN, September 9 — Eleven men, including a college student, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court today, pleading not guilty to a charge of rioting with weapons. Utusan Malaysia reported that the defendants were represented by their respective lawyers and recorded their pleas before Magistrate Noor Idayu Salim. The accused, named Mohamad Nun Mohamad Jupri, V. Rathakisnan, Soman Sri Mahen Deren, Muhammad Haikal Mohammad Rafiq, Chad Sebastian George Albert, Elijah Yong, Cheow Junnuo, Tony Yen Chun Yun, R. Divagar, Muhammad Amirul Hafiz Abdullah, and Ng Chern Yeow, were jointly charged with participating in an armed riot outside SJKC Kong Min Cawangan Kedua in Air Itam on August 29.

The crime, under Section 148 of the Penal Code and Section 120B, could result in up to five years of imprisonment, a fine, or both upon a guilty verdict. Deputy public prosecutor Siti Marissa Safina Saiful Adli argued the case, while Tony Yen was represented by Edric Loo, with the other defendants represented by K. Mahendran. The court set bail at RM6,000 with one surety for each accused and set a date of October 19 for the submission of documents.

Police detained 23 individuals to aid their investigation into the armed riot, which reportedly erupted after a debt dispute failed. The violence involved members of Geng 04 from various areas and resulted in two men, unaffiliated with the gang, suffering serious injuries after being mistaken for participants. Additionally, police claimed that a suspect tried to run over people with a vehicle during the disturbance.