Malaysian retiree claims trial to slapping non-Muslim for eating during Ramadan

The 65-year-old initially pleaded guilty but contested some of facts so the judge rejected his plea

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Malaysian Muslims offer prayers to mark the start of Ramadan on March 1. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:39pm, 19 Mar 2025Updated: 7:11pm, 19 Mar 2025

An elderly Malaysian man claimed trial on Wednesday to a charge of slapping a non-Muslim man for eating during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

Abdul Razak Ismail, 65, a retired civil servant, was charged with voluntarily causing hurt for assaulting an ethnic Chinese man during a confrontation at a shopping centre convenience store in southern Johor state on Sunday.

Videos of an elderly man in a black robe berating Elijah Ling, 21, for eating in public went viral, adding to the brewing public outrage over the perceived surge in religious policing by both authorities and devotees during the annual fasting month, which started in early March.

Initially, Abdul Razak was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal on Wednesday morning despite pleading guilty to the charge.

In this screengrab from a social-media video, a man in a black robe is seen confronting the 21-year-old victim. Photo: Handout

But hours later the attorney general’s chambers (AGC) said it had resolved a “technical issue” related to the initial charge, paving the way for prosecutors to bring the suspect back before the court.

The AGC did not say what was problematic with the initial charge.