‘SLAP OTHER CHARGES

It’s to serve as a deterrent to other juvenile offenders, says Zahid

ADIE SURI ZULKEFLI AND ILI SHAZWANI KANGAR news@nst.com.my

THOSE responsible for the blaze, which claimed the lives of 21 students and two wardens at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah religious school on Thursday, should be slapped with multiple criminal charges.

This would serve as a deterrent to other juvenile offenders, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid said it was up to the AttorneyGeneral’s Chambers to decide on charges, but felt that it should reflect the severity of the crime.

“In my view, besides being charged under the Penal Code, the culprits should also be slapped with other charges to reflect the severity of their crime as a deterrent to others, although they are juveniles.”

He was commenting on calls by many quarters for the minors to be charged and tried as adults based on their actions and the tragic outcome of the incident.

He said the punishment should be a deterrent one to prevent more serious offences involving juveniles, such as massacres via firearms that had taken place in schools in developed nations.

Police have arrested seven teenagers, aged 11 to 18, between 6.30pm on Friday and 2.30am on Saturday in Kampung Datuk Keramat in relation to the incident.

They identified the suspects in closedcircuit