KOTA TINGGI: Two foreigners were sentenced to a fine of RM5,000, in default of one month's jail, each at the magistrate's court here today after they pleaded guilty to wearing indecent clothes in public during the Pan Asia International Run last Friday.
Magistrate NurKhalida Farhana Abu Bakar handed down the sentence against Arthur Wang and Satyanarayana Prasad Papoli, aged 66 and 70 respectively, after the duo pleaded guilty to committing the offence.
The charges were read to them by the court interpreter in Mandarin to Wang from Taiwan and English to Satyanarayana from India.
Wang, who is a retiree and activist, pleaded guilty to committing the offence between 4pm and 6pm in Jalan Utama Jalan Desaru, Pengerang.
Satyanarayana, a former lawyer, pleaded guilty to committing the offence at the same time at the compound of a hotel located in the same district.
Both of them were charged under Section 294(a) of the Penal Code for for committing obscene acts in public, which carries the maximum three months imprisonment or a fine or both upon conviction.
Earlier, Deputy public prosecutor Abdul Ghafar Ab Latif proposed that the court impose a deterrent punishment, serving as a lesson not only to the two men but also to other foreigners and locals, to dress modestly and in accordance with the customs and culture of the country they are visiting.
Wang appealed for a lenient sentence on the grounds that he was not familiar with and did not fully understand the culture of the country.
He also told the court that the attire he wore was traditional clothing of the indigenous people from 'Orchid Island' in Taiwan, and that he wore it to promote that culture.
"I apologise to the government and the people of Malaysia for this mistake that has offended the people of this country and promise not to repeat this act," he said.
Satyanarayana also apologised and requested for the fine to be reduced on the grounds that he is already 70, has a wife, who works as a doctor, and came here to participate in a charity programme.
It was reported yesterday that police yesterday detained three participants of the running event.
The three men - a local and two foreigners aged between 39 and 70, were detained at a hotel at 10pm.
Johor police chief Datuk M.Kumar said the men were detained following allegations of inappropriate conduct during the run.
Police confiscated a red saree, a red skirt, silver cardboard cutouts, and a silver replica spear.
The runners, both men and women, donned red t-shirts, while some chose to wear lingerie and sarees.