KUALA LUMPUR: A labourer who slashed a lawyer after he was told off for not wearing a face mask and smoking at a supermarket received a heavier punishment of a one-year imprisonment and RM10,000 fine following a review of his sentence at the High Court. Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah handed the new sentence after reviewing the sentence against M. Samasiveng, 57, passed by the Selayang Magistrate’s Court on March 11.

       “After hearing the submissions from both sides and reviewing the sentence, this court finds the RM5,000 fine meted out by the lower court as inadequate.

       “Therefore, this court sets aside the sentence by the Magistrate’s Court and imposes a one-year jail sentence beginning today and a RM10,000 fine in default 12 months’ jail, if the accused fails to pay the fine,” he said here yesterday.

       Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Mohd Isa Mohamed submitted that Malaysians should be more aware of the Covid-19 situation and not unmask or smoke in public places.

       “According to the statement of facts, the accused had waited for the victim near the supermarket after he was rebuked (by the victim) and this showed that it was premeditated.

       “The accused then took a weapon, which was a machete, from his car after an altercation with the victim and this showed that the use of the weapon was not for self-defence. The attack with the machete could have caused death,” he said.

       Lawyer TP Aravind Raj, who represented the accused, however, appealed for a lighter sentence on the grounds that the Magistrate’s Court had already taken into consideration Samasiveng’s age and that he needed to care for his wife and grandchild.

       “The incident began with a verbal argument when the victim told off the accused who was smoking and not wearing a mask.

       “This was not planned. During the incident, the accused was buying groceries with his wife and grandchild,” Aravind Raj said.

       On March 11, the Selayang Magistrate’s Court sentenced Samasiveng to a RM5,000 fine after he pleaded guilty to hurting Gurcharan Singh, 60, using a machete at a supermarket in Taman Bersatu Rawang, Gombak, on March 9.

       According to the statement of facts, the victim was with his sister at the cashier’s counter.

       The victim then rebuked the accused who wanted to enter the supermarket without wearing a mask while smoking.

       As soon as the victim left the supermarket, the accused, who was waiting, scolded the victim and took out an 18cm machete from his car before slashing the victim’s head and left arm.

       The accused then escaped in a car.