Nine individuals are expected to face court charges today over a viral publicity stunt that involved flares and reckless driving near Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Bukit Bintang early on May 18 [1, 2, 3]. Six others detained in relation to the stunt will be released to serve as prosecution witnesses [1, 2, 3].
The group behind the stunt totaled 15 people—14 men and one woman, aged 17 to 30—including the 24-year-old shop owner, employees, and hired performers. Eight participants were paid between RM50 and RM700 to take part in the event promoting a clothing store's sixth anniversary in Dengkil [1, 2, 3].
The stunt involved igniting flares while riding in the back of a pickup truck and on electric scrambler motorcycles along Jalan Sultan Ismail near Bukit Bintang during the early hours of May 18 [1, 2, 3]. Police seized the pickup truck, two electric scrambler motorcycles, and the clothing worn during the stunt [1, 2, 3].
Investigations invoke multiple laws including the Penal Code Section 290 for public nuisance, Minor Offences Act Section 14 on indecent behaviour, Explosives Act Section 6 on use of explosives, Road Transport Act Section 42 for reckless driving, and Communications and Multimedia Act Section 233 [1, 2, 3].
On May 22, seven men, including clothing brand founder Amir Adzim Shahrul Nizam, pleaded guilty in magistrates' courts to offences related to the stunt. Mohamad Azhar Mohamed Idris, 31, was fined RM4,500 or six months in jail for dangerously stopping a vehicle at the traffic junction around 2:07 a.m. on May 18 [4, 5, 6]. Five others received fines of RM400 each for public nuisance at Shibuya Junction around 2 a.m., and Muhammad Haziq Akmal Mohd Yazid, 24, was fined RM50 for igniting a flare that endangered public safety. The ages of those fined ranged from 22 to 31 years old [4, 5, 6].
Deputy public prosecutor Hench Go described the stunt as "a very dangerous stunt carried out on a busy street," adding, "The court must impose a deterrent sentence" [6].
Separately, a viral street brawl in Sentul Raya on May 20 involved a dispute over a RM20,000 debt and a love triangle. Four suspects (two men, two women) have been arrested and remanded for two days, while three others remain at large. Sentul deputy police chief Superintendent Jasni Zolpa said, "The fight stemmed from personal problems as well as debt issues. All the suspects know each other. They are friends and have personal relationships" [7, 8, 9].
Also today in Damansara Perdana, a separate viral road rage incident occurred when a Honda HR-V driver allegedly ran a red light, crashed into a Perodua Bezza, and attacked its driver—a woman in her 20s. The man, also in his 20s, was detained for reckless driving and tested negative for alcohol and drugs. Petaling Jaya police chief Assistant Commissioner Shamsudin Mamat confirmed, "The suspect was detained at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters for reckless driving" [10, 11]. The case is being investigated under the Road Transport Act Section 42(1) for reckless driving and Penal Code Section 323 for voluntarily causing hurt [10, 11].
