DATIN WHO ABUSED MAID FAILS TO TURN UP IN COURT
High Court gives prosecution a week to locate the two
ADATIN, who triggered public outrage when she was given a light sentence for abusing her Indonesian maid, failed to show up in court for a review of her sentence yesterday.
Rozita Mohamad Ali, 44, was to appear before the High Court here with her surety for the hearing of the prosecution’s application to review the good behaviour bond imposed on her by the Sessions Court last week.
Judge Datuk Seri Tun Majid Tun Hamzah gave the prosecution a week to locate Rozita and her surety after the two failed to turn up yesterday.
He fixed March 29 to hear the prosecution’s application.
Earlier, Selangor prosecution head Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad told the court that up to Tuesday, the prosecution’s attempt to serve a notice on Rozita and her surety, who is a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) personnel, to appear in court, proved futile.
“We went to the respondent’s (Rozita) house in Damansara and her family home in Melaka, but no one was at either address. We tried to serve the notice at the bailor ’s address at the RMAF base in Subang, but the house was vacant. But we have pasted a notice at the bailor’s house.”
Outside the court, Iskandar said he was only informed via a letter that the lawyer, who previously represented the Datin, had withdrawn himself.
He said he would obtain the condition of the bond from the lower court by the end of the day.
On March 15, Sessions Court judge Mohammed Mokhzani Mokhtar let Rozita off with a good behaviour bond of five years, even though the prosecution had pressed for a jail sentence considering the severity of the crime.
Rozita had admitted to abusing Suyanti Sutrinso, 19, using a knife, a steel mop, a clothes hanger and an umbrella in 2016.
She caused injuries to the victim’s head, hands, legs and internal organs between 7am and 12pm on Dec 21, 2016 at a house in Mutiara Damansara.
Rozita was initially charged under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder, which carries a maximum jail sentence of 20 years upon conviction.
The charge was later amended to causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means, under Section 326 of the Penal Code.
The accused pleaded guilty to the lesser charge and Mokhzani sentenced her to be bound over for five years on a good behaviour bond of RM20,000.
His decision sparked outrage from members of the public to lawmakers and non-governmental organisations.
More than 40,000 people have signed a petition calling for “justice to be served”, following the Sessions Court decision. The petition, started by “Equal Justice For Malaysians” on Saturday on the change.com website, had obtained 41,337 signatures up to noon yesterday.
It is seeking 50,000 signatures before it is forwarded to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Minister in the Prime Minister ’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.