KUALA LUMPUR: A Canadian national was fined RM800 by a Magistrate's Court here Tuesday (April 26) after he pleaded guilty to not wearing a face mask and making lewd gestures at a supermarket.

       Travis Lee Theberge, 44, was fined after he pleaded guilty to both offences in front of Magistrate S. Mageswary, Malay language daily Sinar Harian reported.

       For the first charge, Lee was fined RM100 and for the second offence, he was fined RM700.

       The court also ordered Theberge, 44, to serve 15 days in jail if he fails to pay the fine. Lee paid the fine.

       In the first charge, Lee, who works in the oil and gas industry, allegedly showed lewd gestures to Padam Giri, a security guard at the supermarket, with intention of provoking the latter.

       He was charged with committing the offence at Village Grocer M-City, Jalan Ampang, at 9.30pm on April 16.

       The offence, under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955, carries a maximum RM100 fine.

       For the second charge, Lee was charged with not wearing a face mask at the same time, date and location under Regulation 17 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within Infected Local Areas).

       The offence carries a maximum fine of RM1,000 or not more than six months' jail or both if found guilty.

       During mitigation, Lee's lawyer S. Jayananda Rao told the court that his client is still single and supports his three siblings who are in Canada.

       "The accused apologises over the incident and admits it was a stupid move. He went to the police station after finding out the incident had become viral," he said.

       The lawyer added that his client had given full cooperation to the police and came to court after he was told to do so by the investigating officer.

       "His guilty plea has saved the court's time," Jayaranda said.

       Meanwhile, Deputy Public Prosecutor Wardah Nasuha Safian asked the court to mete out a just sentence to serve as a lesson.

       A 18-second video had earlier gone viral of a foreigner swearing at supermarket security staff for asking him to wear a mask.

       The man can be seen in the 18-second clip shouting at security staff, "What are you going to do about it?", after it was pointed out that he was not wearing a mask.