Man nabbed after restaurant smoking dispute escalates into brawl

SHAH ALAM - A man who went viral for smoking and fighting with a married couple at a restaurant in Section 7, here, on Sept 11 was arrested by police on Wednesday.

Shah Alam district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim confirmed that the 49-year-old suspect was arrested at about 4.30pm at Persiaran Kayangan, Section 9, here, after returning from a motorcycle convoy in Thailand.

“Urine tests found the suspect negative for drugs. Investigations are still ongoing and the case is being investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code,” he said on Thursday.

The incident, which occurred at about 11.50pm on Sept 11, started when an eight-month pregnant woman felt uneasy about the suspect smoking inside the restaurant, fearing it would affect her health and her pregnancy.

The woman and her husband first asked restaurant staff to advise the suspect but the suspect ignored the request.

The husband later confronted the suspect three times but the suspect refused to comply and eventually got up to approach the couple’s table.

An argument broke out and later escalated into a shoving incident, after which the suspect left the restaurant.