KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — Tension erupted at the Sessions Court in Petaling Jaya after Zaim Ikhwan Zahari, the husband of Ismanira Abdul Manaf, shouted angrily at an investigating officer when the court denied his wife’s request to defer her sentence.
According to Harian Metro, Zaim, visibly emotional, pointed his finger at Deputy Superintendent Mohd Hafizee Ismail while hurling verbal abuse before being restrained and calmed by family members, including his parents, who were seated in the public gallery.
“May Allah curse you. Just wait, bald one,” shouted Zaim, while pointing his finger at Mohd Hafizee.
The outburst followed Judge Syahliza Warnoh’s decision to reject a plea from defence counsel Haresh Mahadevan to postpone Ismanira’s five-year prison sentence.
She was convicted of neglecting her son, Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin, two years ago.
Haresh informed the court that the defence would be filing an appeal against the verdict at the High Court today.
Earlier, the Sessions Court sentenced Ismanira to five years’ imprisonment after finding her guilty of neglecting her autistic son.
Judge Syahliza ordered the sentence to take effect from the date of conviction.
The court also directed her to sign a two-year good behaviour bond with a local surety and RM3,000 bail, and to perform 120 hours of community service within six months after completing her prison term.
On July 21, the court ordered Ismanira to enter her defence, while her husband Zaim was acquitted and discharged of the same charge.
The court found that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against Ismanira but not against her husband.
According to the amended charge, Ismanira, who was responsible for the care of her six-year-old son Zayn Rayyan at the time, was accused of jointly neglecting him in a manner likely to cause physical harm.
The offence allegedly took place around Block R of Apartment Idaman, Damansara Damai, and near a nearby river between 12pm on December 5 and 9.55pm on December 6, 2023.
The charge was framed under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of RM50,000, or both.
The prosecution team comprised Deputy Public Prosecutors Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin, Aqharie Durranie Aziz and Nur Sabrina Zubairi, while the defence was represented by lawyers Haresh Mahadevan, Ramzani Idris and Lavanesh Haresh.
