Fine over suicide bid revised

Court changes RM3,000 fine to a good behaviour bond

Invoking his discretionary powers, a High Court judge has revised a RM3,000 fine imposed by a lower court to a good behaviour bond in the case of a 28-year-old man who tried to take his own life earlier this month.

Judicial Commissioner Aslam Zainuddin made the decision after calling the case for a revision here yesterday.

The judge invoked his discretionary powers to revise cases from lower courts in accordance with

Section 323 and Section 327 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Mohammad Isa Mohamed said the Magistrate’s Court did not err in its decision to impose a fine against the accused.

He informed the court that the man will be facing a charge under Section 15 of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

(Section 15 of the Act refers to self-administration of drugs.)

Meanwhile, the accused, who was unrepresented, told the court that he suffered from depression and would go without eating for three days.

JC Aslam advised him to seek help for his depression.

The court then made an order for the man to be bound over for a year on a good behaviour bond in one surety, with a bond of RM3,000 without sureties.

“The order of the magistrate from the court below is therefore set aside,” JC Aslam said.

On Aug 4, a Magistrate’s Court here fined the unemployed 28-yearold man RM3,000, in default three months’ jail, after he pleaded guilty to attempting suicide.

He admitted to committing the offence at a flat in Jalan Cheras, here at 4.45am on Aug 1.

The man was charged under Section 309 of the Penal Code that provides for a maximum jail term of one year or a fine or both upon conviction.

The Star reported that between March and July, the National Fire and Rescue Department attended to 88 suicide attempts, with 78 people rescued, seven injured and three fatalities.

The department’s operations director Nor Hisham Mohammad said that June was their busiest month with 21 cases around the country.