On August 18, a Chinese woman was sentenced to one month in prison and fined after assaulting an immigration officer at an airport.

The incident took place on the evening of Wednesday, August 16, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1, when the woman, identified as Ms. Fang, clashed with an immigration officer.

At the time of the incident, a Muslim immigration officer, at the request of a colleague at the counter, was moving Ms. Fang and her three family members aside to allow a Bangladeshi passenger to process his paperwork. This was because Ms. Fang and her family did not have an entry record for Malaysia.

However, when asked to step aside, Ms. Fang reacted violently. She raised her voice, yanked the officer's hijab, and pushed the officer's face and head into a column at the counter.

The Muslim officer was knocked unconscious, suffering from a concussion, a left facial injury, and pain and swelling below her eye.

The airport's Border Control and Protection Unit (AKPS) called security to restore order. The woman initially refused to cooperate but was later escorted by the Royal Malaysia Police.

Witnesses recalled that the entire counter area fell silent, and surrounding passengers were stunned by the outburst.

The police recorded statements from five witnesses, including the injured immigration officer, and promptly pursued the case as a criminal matter.

On August 18, Ms. Fang’s identity was revealed. She pleaded guilty at the Sepang District Court.

Under Malaysia's Penal Code, Section 332 (Intentional Harm to a Public Officer on Duty), the court sentenced her to one month in prison and fined 2,000 MYR; if the fine was not paid, an additional two months in prison would be imposed.

In her defense, she argued that it was a "misunderstanding" and hoped for a lenient sentence, but the judge immediately rejected this, stating: "Attacking law enforcement officers must come with consequences."

Ms. Fang's lawyer requested a reduced sentence, citing her young age and lack of a criminal record.

"(Fang) has a husband and two children, one and a half years old and five years old. They depend entirely on her. We have no other family members to support us in Malaysia.

"This was a misunderstanding and communication failure between her and the immigration officer. It was spontaneous, not premeditated."

However, Deputy Prosecutor Luvithaa Veerasamy called for a fitting punishment to deter both the defendant and the public.

This case quickly sparked a wave of public outrage in Malaysia.

The anger wasn’t just over the woman's actions but also because the victim was a Muslim woman wearing a hijab. The hijab symbolizes both religious beliefs and dignity, and forcibly removing it in public is not only disrespectful but also an offense to one’s faith.

Moreover, this occurred in a public place and involved an officer performing her duties.

On social media, many netizens called for a harsher sentence, arguing, "If this happened in Europe or the U.S., it would be considered an assault on a police officer. In the Middle East, it would be viewed as a religious offense, with far more severe consequences!"

In some parts of Europe and the U.S., the incident might be classified as an assault on law enforcement, leading to a longer sentence. In certain Middle Eastern countries, the consequences could also involve religious repercussions.