Technician gets RM20,000 bail over restaurant assault

A Malaysian technician, Lai Kae Bin, 33, was granted RM20,000 bail on charges of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to a businessman during an assault in a restaurant, according to High Court judge Nurulhuda Nur Aini Mohamad Nor. Lai, who has one surety, must surrender his passport, report weekly to the Kepong police station, and refrain from approaching the victim and witnesses. The court ordered these conditions following the application for bail by Lai's lawyer, Muhamad Firdaus Jumaludin.

Lawyer Firdaus argued that Lai was not a flight risk and needed to care for his ailing mother after his father's death. CCTV footage showed Lai's involvement in the incident was minor, as he attempted to stop the attack, according to Firdaus. The prosecution, however, objected to the bail application, citing the severity of the offence, risk of witness interference, and the possibility of the accused absconding. They also questioned the adequacy of Lai's surety, who is not an immediate relative.

The victim, Andrew Teh, 47, was traumatized by the incident. The prosecution fears Lai may approach or interfere with him if released. Lai, along with two others, has pleaded not guilty to the charge, while one of the other accused, Wong Weng Luen, is undergoing psychiatric assessment. The other accused, Wan Ken Fei, was denied bail earlier. The attack allegedly stemmed from an incident where Teh was accused of staring at an intoxicated man while dining at Restoran Hing Kee Bakuteh.