KUALA LUMPUR: A Canadian man was fined RM800 for refusing to wear a mask while at a supermarket in Ampang recently.
Magistrate S. Megaswasri fined Theberge Travis Lee after he pleaded guilty to the offence today.
According to the charge sheet, Travis had also disrespected the supermarket's security guard by making lewd gestures at the latter after he was told to don a mask.
The offence, under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955, carries a maximum RM100 fine.
For the main offence, he was charged with not wearing a face mask in the supermarket under Regulation 18 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within Infected Local Areas).
He committed the offence at M-City Village Grocer Village Grocer M-City, Jalan Ampang, on April 16.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Wardah Nasuha Safian urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence against the accused.
However, counsel Jayananda Rao who represented the accused pleaded for minimum sentence stating that his client was remorseful.
"He wants to apologise and promises not to repeat the same mistake again," he said.
It was reported that the 44-year-old was arrested after having his statement recorded at the Wangsa Maju district police headquarters when a video of the accused went viral.
The matter came to light after an 18-second video of the incident was shared on TikTok.
The video showed a Caucasian man, who was not wearing a face mask, squaring off with a security guard at a supermarket in Jalan Ampang.
It is understood that the security guard had asked the man to wear a face mask.
The man is heard challenging the guard and another supermarket employee with "What are you gonna do?" and after not receiving any reply, said "exactly".
The man then walked off but not before showing the guard an obscene gesture and hurling expletives.
Wearing a face mask in public is still mandatory and those who refuse to do so can be fined under Rule 16 (1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Rules 2021, which carries a fine of up to RM1,000 or a jail term of up to six months or both.