Global Courant
JOHOR BAHRU – The Sessions Court in Johor Bahru on October 10 secured the conviction of a single mother and her housemate after both suspects changed their pleas to abusing and neglecting a seven-year-old boy.
The accused, Nurul Asyiqin Mohamad Zahir, 27, the boy’s biological mother, and Singaporean Awiin Chua, 30, changed their pleas to guilty after the charges against them were read out again in the presence of Judge VM Mabel Sheela on Wednesday.
For the first charge, the two were accused of carrying out the common intent to persecute a seven-year-old boy in their care, causing bodily harm to the victim.
For the second charge, both Nurul Asyiqin and Chua were charged with reaching a common intention to neglect the child in their care.
They were accused of committing the crimes between July 1 and August 9 at a house along Jalan Wau Kikik 7 in Bandar Layangkasa, Pasir Gudang.
Both Nurul Asyiqin and Chua were charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Children Act 2001, read together with Section 34 of the Criminal Code, which carries a fine of up to RM50,000 (S$14,560) or a maximum of 20 years in prison or both upon conviction.
As soon as the guilty plea was recorded, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Diyana Zubir requested another date for the preparation of the facts of the case before sentencing.
During the proceedings, the prosecution also submitted documents to the court, including medical reports, police reports and photographs of the scene of the incident, as well as photographs of the victim’s injuries.
Judge Mabel Sheela then set October 10 for the facts of the case and sentencing for both suspects.
She also ordered that the bail of RM15,000 for Nurul Asyiqin and RM20,000 for Chua be maintained.
Lawyer Abd Rahim Ali represented the two suspects.
On August 16, both Nurul Asyiqin and Chua were charged and tried at the Sessions Court for allegedly assaulting the boy.
Chua reportedly works in Singapore but lives in Pasir Gudang. She has a valid passport and a permit to stay in Malaysia, her lawyer said.
The case gained public attention when videos of neighbors rescuing the victim from the suspect went viral on social media. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
