JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 3 — A 32-year-old mechanic claimed trial in the Sessions Court here today to a charge of abusing his six-year-old stepson at the Melana Indah Phase 2 People’s Housing Project (PPR) last month.
The accused, Mohamed Ra’id Taqiuddin Ismail, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read before Judge Thalha Bachok @ Embok Mok.
According to the charge sheet, Mohamed Ra’id, who had custody of the boy, allegedly mistreated him in a manner likely to cause physical harm at a house in the Melana Indah Phase 2 PPR between 8pm and 9pm on August 24.
He was charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which makes it an offence for any person caring for a child to abuse, neglect, abandon or expose the child in a way that could cause physical or emotional injury. If convicted, he faces a fine of up to RM50,000, imprisonment of up to 20 years, or both.
Deputy public prosecutor Siti Fatimah Mamu proposed RM20,000 bail with one surety, along with conditions barring the accused from contacting the victim and witnesses, and requiring him to surrender his passport.
The court instead set bail at RM10,000 with one surety, and imposed conditions for him to report to the nearest police station once a month, surrender his passport, and not contact the victim or witnesses. Mohamed Ra’id was also ordered to appoint counsel before the case mention on September 30.
In a separate court, his wife, 22-year-old housewife Nurul Haslina Abd Rahim, was also charged with allowing her biological child to be abused by her husband.
She pleaded not guilty before Judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail to an offence allegedly committed at the same time, date and place.
Nurul Haslina was charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, punishable under Section 31(1) of the same Act, which carries up to 20 years’ jail, a fine of up to RM50,000, or both.
Deputy public prosecutor Zuhainie Zull Kafli appeared for the prosecution, while Nurul Haslina was represented by National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK) counsel K Bharathi, who requested low bail as her client is unemployed with five children aged between three and 13, and her husband earns RM1,500 monthly.
The court set bail at RM5,000 with one surety, and ordered her to surrender her passport and report to the nearest police station once a month. Mention was fixed for October 14
