KUALA LUMPUR – A mother hurting their own child is a nightmare scenario, and a recent case involving a 34-year-old mother feeding her 16-month-old baby milk mixed with water containing methamphetamine is one such example.
Today, she plead guilty to causing harm at the Petaling Jaya sessions court.
“I plead guilty, but I didn’t mean to (give my son milk containing drugs),” said the mother of three.
She made the plea before judge Dr Syahliza Warnoh, who then set March 13 for the facts of the case and sentencing.
Meanwhile, her 40-year-old husband, who is a drink seller, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The duo claimed trial for the same charge under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 (Act 611).
Under this section, it is an offence for anyone responsible for the care of a child to “abandon, neglect, or expose the said child to danger to cause him/her physical or emotional injury”.
The couple is jointly charged with abusing their son by giving him milk mixed with water containing methamphetamine, causing the child to experience “alleged sympathomimetic drug ingestion” in an apartment in Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya, at 6pm on February 19.
The charge, under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, provides a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment for up to 20 years or both if found guilty.
The woman pleaded with the court to reduce the bail amount, claiming that she does not have a job and her other children need her at home.
Meanwhile, her husband told the court that he needed to support his other schoolgoing children and care for his parents.
Following this, Syahliza allowed the couple bail of RM5,000 with one surety each and ordered them to report themselves at a police station every month and not intimidate witnesses.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Zuhaini Mahamad Amin told the court that the couple, unrepresented, is married, but their marriage was not registered in Malaysia. – February 28, 2024