Welfare home workers charged with ill-treating, injuring child

Three welfare home employees today faced charges of ill-treating and causing injury on a seven-year-old girl at the premise in Sentul, here, two months ago.

Low Kam Len, 72, Ooi Kian Choo, 66, and Jackie Yong, 27, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges read to them by the court interpreter before Judge Izralizam Sanusi.

The three were accused of ill-treating the child by not providing sufficient food and with causing physical injuries on her body at the home located at Taman Rainbow, Sentul here between April 19- 28 this year.

They were charged under Section 31(1)(a) Child Act 2001 read together with section 34 of the Penal Code, which upon conviction is punishable by a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 20 years or both.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Afiq Nazrin Zaharinan asked the court to impose bail of RM6,000 with one surety each, and for them to report to the nearest police station once a month.

Counsel Gobind Singh Deo, who represented Yong, however, asked to court to consider bail at RM3,000 each and to exempt them from the monthly police station visits on the grounds that they had cooperated well during investigations.

Low was represented by Gabriel Susayan while Gerard Lazarus acted on behalf of Ooi.

Izralizam then set bail of RM4,500 with one surety each for all three and fixed July 14 for remention of the case.

Taking into consideration their age, he also exempted them from having to report at the police station but cautioned them against harassing witnesses. - BERNAMA