Woman Charged with Criminal Force Against the Sultan of Perak During Merdeka Celebrations

Woman Charged with Criminal Force Against the Sultan of Perak During Merdeka Celebrations

A woman was brought to the Ipoh Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges of using criminal force against the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, during the state-level National Day celebrations on August 31.

The accused, Nurhaswani Afni Mohamad Zorki, 41, was charged with committing the act in front of the Ipoh City Hall building, Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab, at approximately 8:20 a.m. while the official event was underway.

According to the charge, the action is classified as an offense under Section 352 of the Penal Code, which provides for a prison sentence of up to three months, a maximum fine of RM1,000, or both, upon conviction.

The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nasrul Hadi Abdul Ghani, requested that no plea be recorded from the accused as initial reports indicated she suffers from schizophrenia. Consequently, the prosecution also requested that further examination be conducted under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code, with reference to Sections 11 and 14 of the Mental Health Act 2001, to determine the mental state of the accused at the time of the incident.

Magistrate Mohd Harith Mohd Mazlan subsequently ordered Nurhaswani to undergo treatment and observation for one month at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta (HBUK) before the case is mentioned again on October 8. The court also ruled that the accused be denied bail.

In the proceedings, the prosecution was also represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Izzah Farzana Mohd Tafkir, while the accused was represented by lawyer M Saravanan from the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK).

Previously, the media reported a shocking incident where a woman dressed in all black suddenly ran towards Sultan Nazrin, who was standing to take the salute while the state anthem was being played in conjunction with the Merdeka celebrations in Ipoh.