14-year-old girl, boyfriend plead not guilty to kidnapping baby

The teenage girl and Muhammad Azrin Budimaeng, 18, a part-time restaurant worker, pleaded not guilty to the charge before Magistrate Nurulrasyidah Mohd Akit.

The duo was accused of jointly keeping in custody by means of wrongfully running away with the baby girl on Aug 23 at about 5.30 pm at the Idaman Apartments in Taman Pauh Perai.

They were charged under Section 363 of the Penal Code which is punishable with a maximum prison sentence of seven years and a fine upon conviction.

No bail was offered by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohammad Syafiq Nasrullah Saleem Ali on the grounds that it was not only a non-bailable offence, but a serious one as well.

"However, as an alternative, if the court decides to allow bail, then I seek a high amount with strict conditions imposed," he said.

Lawyer Fatin Nabila Hussin, representing the duo, sought bail on the grounds that the girl was still too young, adding that she was the youngest of three siblings currently residing with their grandparents aged 75 and 68 respectively.

As for Muhammad Azrin, she said he was the second of five siblings who worked twice a week at a restaurant with an income of RM50 a day to assist his family as his mother was ill while his father had no regular income.

The court allowed bail of RM5,000 for each of the accused, with only the girl's parents allowed to be her bailor, before fixing Oct 3 for mention.