JUDGMENT

Raja Azlan Shah J (delivering oral judgement):

The appellant was charged with obstructing the chief assistant district officer, Kuala Lumpur, in the discharge of his public function, an offence punishable under s. 186 of the Penal Code. He was unrepresented in the Court below. He claimed trial and was duly convicted and sentenced to three months' imprisonment.

The facts are sufficiently stated in the learned Magistrate's judgment. The appellant had for the last 3'bd years been frequenting the district office in order to apply for a piece of land on Mountbatten Road. It is not disputed that he pestered the district officer with his claim about four times a week during that period. I now quote a passage from the learned Magistrate's judgment:

After being in the chief assistant district officer's office for half-an-hour, that officer requested the appellant to leave his room as there were others outside his office who were waiting to see him. He told the appellant that he would have to call the police if he did not leave. The appellant dared him to do so and stood up and banged his file on the table. He then raised his fists and challenged the officer to a fight. He said th