00:01The wife of Pantai Jerejak Assemblyman Fahmi Zainal told the Magistrates Court in Georgetown
00:08on Thursday that she did not wish to pursue the case against her husband, who is charged
00:13with voluntarily causing hurt to her.
00:16Noor Hidayah Abdul-Jabbar, 35, said the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding and that she
00:22wanted no further action taken against Fahmi.
00:24She said she had lodged a police report on February 23rd, alleging that Fahmi injured
00:30her eye but withdrew the complaint later the same day.
00:35Noor Hidayah also told Magistrate Chia Hui Ting that Fahmi had not intended to hurt her and
00:40that she later filed another report expressing dissatisfaction that police proceeded with
00:46the charge despite her withdrawal.
00:48Deputy Public Prosecutor Iqmal Effendi Zol Kifli then applied for an adjournment to seek further
00:54instructions from the Attorney General's chambers.
00:57Defence counsel Shamshah Singh Thint objected, urging the court to dismiss the case or acquit
01:02Fahmi, arguing there was no longer a basis to proceed following the complainant's testimony.
01:08Iqmal said withdrawing a police report did not automatically prevent the prosecution from
01:13continuing as the decision to prosecute did not depend solely on the victim's wishes.
01:19Chia allowed the prosecution to seek further instructions, saying the withdrawal did not
01:24render the charge groundless.
01:26The court fixed September 10th for the trial to resume and ordered relevant witnesses to
01:32attend if the prosecution proceeds with the case.
01:35Fahmi, the former Penang Agro-Technology, Food Security and Cooperatives Development Committee
01:40chairman, pleaded not guilty on February 27 to allegedly causing hurt to Noor Hidayah at
01:46Pasyaran Pantai Jareja, Bayan Lepas, at about 10pm on February 22.
01:52The charge under Section 323 of the Penal Code, read with Section 326A, carries a maximum two-year
02:00jail term, a fine of up to RM2000 or both upon conviction.
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