Temple fracas: Four men charged with rioting

PETALING JAYA: Four men, including a security officer of a developer company, were charged in the Magistrate's Court here yesterday with rioting and using dangerous weapons during the fracas at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Subang Jaya, last week.

One City Development Sdn Bhd security officer, Irwan Nordin, 38; Muhammad Ridzuan Sekh Ruslan, 26; Mohd Khairi Abd Rashid, 24, and Rozaihan Jamaludin, 38, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out to them before Magistrate Nor Ariffin Hisham.

They were jointly charged with several other people still at large, with being present during the riotings and having in their possession machetes, axes, knives and sticks that could be used as weapons.

They allegedly committed the offence at the temple at USJ 25, Seafield, Subang Jaya between 2 am and 5am on Nov 26.

The charge framed under Section 148 of the Penal Code provides a maximum jail sentence of five years, a fine or both, upon conviction.

The court allowed the accused bail of RM10,000 with one surety each and to report at the nearest police station once a month. They were also ordered to surrender their passports until the case is disposed.

At the same proceeding related to the case, another man, T. Thinekaran, 34, pleaded not guilty to voluntarily causing injury to an individual, Datuk K. Tanggeswaran, 25, by punching him in the left eyebrow at the road side along the DamansaraPuchong Highway ( LDP), USJ, here at 4.30pm on the same day.

He was charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code which provides a maximum jail term of one year or a maximum fine of RM2,000 or both, if convicted.

The court allowed Thinekaran bail of RM2,500 with one surety and fixed Jan 17 for mention of both cases.

Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Salim Soib@ Hamid led the prosecution. Irwan was represented by counsel Mohd Rafique Rashid Ali while the other accused were unrepresented. — Bernama