KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 — Penang state executive councillor and Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Fahmi Zainol claimed trial at the Balik Pulau Magistrate’s Court here today to a charge of domestic abuse.

The 35-year-old PKR lawmaker pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out to him before Magistrate Chia Huey Ting, Free Malaysia Today reported.

Fahmi is accused of voluntarily causing hurt to his wife, Nur Hidayah Abd Jabar, also 35.

The offence allegedly took place at their residence along Persiaran Pantai Jerejak 11 in Bayan Lepas at approximately 10pm on Sunday, February 22.

The charge was formally framed under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt, read together with Section 326A of the same legislation, which specifically addresses causing hurt to a lawful spouse.

Because the alleged victim is his wife, the penal provision doubles the maximum standard sentence for the offence. Consequently, Fahmi faces up to two years in prison, a maximum fine of RM2,000, or both, upon conviction.

During the proceedings, the prosecution team — comprising Deputy Public Prosecutors Nazran Sham, Ikmal Affandi Zulkifli, and Lim Jin Hong — proposed that bail be set at RM5,000.

However, defence counsel Shamsher Singh Thind appealed to the bench for a lower sum.

The lawyer argued for leniency on the grounds that his client is a public figure who had cooperated fully with police investigations leading up to the charge.

Following the mitigation, Magistrate Chia granted bail at RM2,000 with one surety.

The court then fixed April 28 for the next mention of the case and the submission of relevant documents.