KUALA LUMPUR: A 30-year-old accountant was fined RM3,300 by the Ampang Magistrates’ Court today after admitting to secretly recording his male housemate while the latter was showering.
Magistrate Amalina Basirah Md Top handed down the sentence to Muhammad Fahmi Akmal Zakaria, who also faced five months’ imprisonment if he failed to pay the fine. The accused settled the penalty immediately.
The charge stated that Muhammad Fahmi had violated the privacy of a 31-year-old man by recording him showering in their shared apartment in Taman Ukay Perdana on June 20 at 8.10 am. The offence falls under Section 509 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of five years’ jail, a fine, or both.
Investigations revealed that the victim spotted a flashing light in the bathroom and found a hidden recording device. Upon checking the accused’s laptop and USB cable, he discovered a memory card containing footage of himself showering.
Muhammad Fahmi was arrested the same day, and authorities seized his recording device, mobile phone, and laptop. Evidence confirmed his involvement in the act.
Defence counsel Mohd Azizi Darus from the National Legal Aid Foundation requested leniency, citing the accused’s modest monthly income of RM2,500 and his financial responsibilities toward his family. He argued that the act was meant as a joke between housemates.
However, deputy public prosecutor Norhidayah Abdullah Sani pressed for a deterrent sentence, stressing the gravity of the offence. “Public interest must prevail. This was no prank—had the video spread, the victim would have suffered immense humiliation,” she said.
