GEORGE TOWN, Aug 14 — A motorist wrote a vulgar word on a traffic summons in a fit of anger was today jailed a week and fined RM5,000 by the magistrate’s court here.
Lim Pei Jye learnt a bitter lesson today after he admitted to writing down the vulgar word “p******” (an obscenity that refers to the private parts of one’s mother) on the summons given for to him to sign, with the intention to humiliate the policeman, S.Thanesran.
The tombstone engraver, who was ordered to serve his sentence starting from today, committed the offence in front of a cafe along Jalan Batu Ferringhi at about 9.50am on July 2.
He was convicted under Section 509 of the Penal Code for using any sounds, gestures or words to insult the modesty of any person.
The section carries a maximum five years’ jail, fine or both.
According to the facts of the case, the traffic policeman stopped Lim in front of the cafe for allegedly running a red light.
After the policeman issued the summons, he handed the booklet over to Lim to sign it as acknowledgement of receipt.
When Lim returned the booklet, Thanesran found the vulgar word scrawled in the signature column.
During mitigation, Lim’s counsel Muhammad Arif Shaharuddin told magistrate Diannee Ningrad Nor Azahar that his client was stressed at that time as he was going through divorce proceedings and that he was sorry for what he did.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Hafiz Hashim pressed for a deterrent sentence.
He pointed out that divorce should not be used as an excuse to use a vulgar word against a policeman who was just doing his job.
He also pointed out that Lim had also committed another offence of running to the red light, which was why he was issued the summons in the first place.
