Women’s groups slam RM2,000 fine for a ‘horrifying’ assault

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: A women’s rights activist has criticised a RM2,000 fine handed down on a man who assaulted a woman driver who had honked at him, and said it sends a harmful message to Malaysians.

All Women’s Action Society programme and operations manager Nisha Sabanayagam called the event “horrifying” and said the offender’s punishment should have been accompanied by imprisonment and community service, as well as a requirement to attend anger management counselling.

She was commenting on the case of a man who was convicted for voluntarily causing hurt by repeatedly punching a woman in the face after confronting her about the honking once she had parked her car.

“By not providing punishment that is equivalent to the crime, the judge is sending a message that the legal system sees this form of gender-based violence as a small-time crime. This perpetuates the devaluation of women in society and their subordination to men,” she told FMT.

- More -