M'sian woman, 29, fined S$3,810 for stabbing & slapping restaurant staff, but wins public support

A 29-year-old Malaysian woman has been fined RM11,800 (S$3,810) after admitting to three separate offences involving violence and property damage at a restaurant in Ipoh, Malaysia.

Nurfarahanim Soaid pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court to charges of injuring two men and committing mischief at an eatery in end-January.

The court also ordered that she could face jail time if she fails to pay the fines.

Rampage at an Ipoh restaurant

The offences occurred at SK Naina Restaurant along Jalan Tawas Baru in Ipoh at around 6:26am on Jan. 28, according to court proceedings.

Nurfarahanim admitted to assaulting one of the victims, Mohamed Hussain Mubarakali, by slapping and punching him, reported the New Straits Times.

In a separate charge, she also pleaded guilty to injuring another man, Muniasamy Rathinavel Nadar, using a fork, which prosecutors said could be considered a dangerous weapon.

Restaurant property damaged

Nurfarahanim further admitted to damaging the restaurant’s property, including smashing three glass food display panels.

Prosecutors told the court the restaurant owner suffered losses amounting to RM45,000 (S$14,510), factoring in damage and cleaning costs.

"She also used a meat-cutting knife to smash protective glass in the restaurant, demonstrating aggressive conduct,” they said.

She allegedly became aggressive after being informed that the restaurant only accepted cash payments rather than online transfers, Bernama reported.

Single mother of three with bipolar disorder

During mitigation, Nurfarahanim said she is a single mother of three and has been suffering from bipolar disorder since 2021.

She also holds a disability card and earns only a modest income of RM500 (S$160) a month as a kuih (Malay snack) seller, her lawyer told the court while requesting lighter penalties.

She was unrepresented for one of the charges, but later received legal aid counsel through Malaysia’s National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK).

Online users support her

While the case involved violence against restaurant staff, online discussion surrounding the incident largely revolved around online commenters suggesting that she should be “freed”.

Others argued that she should be shown leniency due to her condition and her status as a single mother.

Top images via TV.Chua/Facebook and China Press