A non-Muslim man was allegedly slapped by an elderly man for eating in public during Ramadan.
The incident, which took place at a mall in Johor Bahru, was shared by the victim, Elijah, in a viral post on X.
According to Elijah, the man approached him and asked if he was Muslim.
After Elijah clarified that he was not, the man insisted that he show his identification card (IC) as proof.
Heated exchange led to assault
Elijah, who was eating at a convenience store inside the mall, refused to show his IC due to privacy concerns.
This led to a brief argument, during which the elderly man slapped him.
In a video shared by Elijah, the man was seen slapping him once, although Elijah claimed in his post that he was hit multiple times.
The man was accompanied by his son, who tried to defuse the situation and apologized on his father’s behalf.
While Elijah accepted the apology, he stated that he could not let the matter go.
Thankfully, his son was really good and after calming the situation down, he apologized to the uncle.
But the uncle disrespected me and slapped me in a public place. I can accept the apology but I can’t let this go.
“May our country remain a harmonious country and we know how to respect others regardless of race and religion,” he added.
Minister condemns the act
Minister of National Unity, Aaron Ago Dagang, addressed the incident on X, confirming that Elijah had lodged a police report at Tampoi Police Station. He emphasized that such acts of provocation do not reflect Malaysia’s values of unity and harmony.
INSIDEN DI ANGSANA MALL
— Aaron Ago Dagang (@AaronAgoDagang) March 17, 2025
Mangsa yang bernama Elijah telah membuat laporan di Balai Polis Tampoi. Saya dimaklumkan bahawa pihak PDRM akan menyiasat kes ini di bawah Seksyen 323 Kanun Keseksaan. Saya berharap agar semua pihak memberi kerjasama dan menyerahkan sepenuhnya kepada PDRM… https://t.co/S9049h8qCz
“Issues that touch on unity cannot be taken lightly. We cannot allow any incident that could destroy the harmony of Malaysians. This country will only progress if we are united, respect each other, and live in peace without any form of racial or religious tension,” he wrote on his X.
In a separate post, the minister also said that he has instructed the Johor State Department of National Unity and Integration to contact the victim to provide support.
Saya telah mengarahkan Jabatan Perpaduan Negara dan Integrasi Nasional Negeri Johor untuk menghubungi saudara untuk berikan sokongan etc. https://t.co/vYAyNauLRx
— Aaron Ago Dagang (@AaronAgoDagang) March 17, 2025
Investigations ongoing
The Johor police confirmed that they received a report from the 21-year-old victim and are investigating the case under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt.
If found guilty, the suspect could face a jail term of up to one year or a fine of up to RM2,000.
