KP Gengadharan JC:

The accused faced two charges (consolidated cases) in the magistrate's court as follows:

1) Bahawa kamu pada 26.07.2000 jam lebih kurang 1.20 petang di bilik guru Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Kulai (1) Kulai, didalam daerah Johor Bahru di dalam negeri Johor telah dengan sengaja mendatangkan kecederaan ke atas seorang guru perempuan Lee Bee Hwa - K/P 671006-086122 di bahagian ppi kiri. Oleh yang demikian kamu telah melakukan satu kesalahan yang boleh dihukum di bawah seksyen 323 kanun keseksaan.

2) Bahawa kamu pada 26.07.2000 jam lebih kurang 1.20 petang di bilik guru Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Kulai (1) Kulai, Didalam daerah Johor Bahru di dalam negeri Johor telah dengan sengaja mendatangkan kecederaan ke atas seorang guru lelaki Pang Nam Soon - K/P 5565516 di bahagian tangan kiri oleh yang demikian kamu telah melakukan satu kesalahan yang boleh dihukum di bawah seksyen 323 kanun keseksaan.

The accused who was then unrepresented claimed trial to both charges and was found guilty of both charges after the trial. He was sentenced to five months' imprisonment w.e.f 22 August 2001 in respect of each charge, the sentences to run concurrently. He served eight days of the sentence before he was released on bail (upon applying for a stay of the sentence) pending his appeal against both the convictions and the sentences.

The brief facts of the case are as follows:

1) The accused's son, aged 11 years at the material time, attended the Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Kulai (1) in Kulai Johor. On 26 July 2001 the accused's son was punished with two strokes of a cane and was also slapped by the teacher named in the 1st charge above over an accident described by the teacher as follows in her evidence at the hearing in the magistrate's court:

Saya nampak satu murid tahun 5 tendang murid tahun 1 - Goh Kai Nai dan Heng Jia Jin.

Murid tahun 1 Heng Jia Jin.

Selepas lihat kejadian, saya tuju ketempat Goh berdiri dan tegur dia tentang perbuatan Goh tendang budak tahun 1 itu.

Kemudian, Goh meninggikan suara dengan tangan saya "Mengapa saya tidak boleh buat demikian, malahan dia kawan saya".

Saya tegur lagi, perbuatan tersebut tidak betul. Itu budak kecil, lagipun dia tahun 1.

Kemudian Goh - lagi kasar suaranya; jerit dengan kuat "Mengapa saya tidak boleh demikian?" Saya menggunakan rotan dan merotannya 2 kali.

Selepas rotannya, dia berhadapan dengan saya. Kurang daripada 1 kaki.

Dia tinggikan suaranya lebih tinggi daripada sebutannya "Mengapa rotan saya sahaja tetapi tidak rotan budak itu?"

Dalam masa itu; dia juga pegang pergelangan tangan kiri saya.

Saya gunakan tangan kanan saya tampar pipi kiri dia. Cos' dia cabar kewibawaan guru disiplin.

2) As a result of the beating with the cane and the slapping the accused confronted the teacher in the staff room of the school on that day before the school session ended and an argument ensued between them resulting in the accused slapping the teacher once. Following this another teacher (named in the 2nd charge above) who came to the assistance of the first teacher was hit or knocked once on the hand by the accused whilst still in the staffroom after some words were exchanged between them.

At the hearing of the appeal the learned counsel for the accused withdrew the appeal against the conviction in respect of the 1st charge and proceeded only in respect of the sentence. However, the appeal against both the conviction and sentence in respect of the 2nd charge was pursued.

At the conclusion of the submissions I dismissed the appeal against the conviction as there was no merit in it but set aside the sentence of five months' imprisonment in respect of each of the two charges and substituted same with a term of imprisonment of eight days w.e.f the date of conviction by the magistrate's court (ie, 22 August 2001) in respect of each charge, the terms to run concurrently. I further imposed a fine of RM1,000, in default three months' imprisonment, for the 1st charge and a fine of RM500, in default