Nine more men including a college student were charged at the Petaling Jaya Magistrates’ Court here today for rioting with dangerous weapons during the fracas at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Subang Jaya at the end of last month.

All of the accused, aged between 20 and 44, pleaded not guilty after the charges on them were read before Magistrate Nurshahirah Abd Salim.

They nine are Muhammad Qayyum Mohd Faisal, Mohd Ashraf Mohd Faisal, Absal Evastrie Abdullah, Muhamed Jalil Talib, Muhammad Khairol Anuar Zabidi (the college student), Muhd Zamri Md Said, Shukri Razali, Afizal Sabtu and Nor Azmi Abdul Ghani.

They are being charged together with four other men who had been arraigned at Magistrates’ Court 1 here on Dec 4 and several others who are still at large for rioting while armed with machetes, axes, knives and clubs as weapons.

The acts were allegedly carried out at the temple in Subang Jaya here between 2am and 5am on Nov 26.

The charges are under Section 148 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum jail term of five years or a fine or both upon conviction.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Salim Soib who headed the prosecution team offered bail at RM10,000 with one surety for each accused with the additional condition of reporting to the police station every month as well as surrendering their passports to the court.

Apart from Salim, the prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutors Shafiq Hasim, Amir Nasruddin and Fairuz Johari. The accused were not represented.

The court allowed the nine bail at RM6,000 with one surety each with the additional conditions of reporting to the police station every month and surrendering their passports to the court until the case is settled.

The court also allowed a prosecution application to transfer the case to Magistrates’ Court 1 to be tried with the other accused and set Jan 17 for mention of the case.

Earlier, on Dec 4, four men including a One City Development Sdn Bhd (One City) security guard pleaded not guilty at the Magistrates’ Court to the same charges. - Bernama