COURT ORDERS NEGLIGENCE CASE TO TRIAL AS FATHER'S GUILTY PLEA WAS CONDITIONAL

JOHOR BAHRU, July 15 (Bernama) -- The Sessions Court today dismissed the guilty plea of a father who allegedly neglected his teenage son by leaving him to sleep on the sidewalk of their flat for two nights last week.

Judge Datuk Che Wan Zaidi Che Wan Ibrahim stated that the guilty plea by Roslan Abas, 56, was conditional, and therefore the case must go to trial.

"A guilty plea must be unconditional, and the defendant must acknowledge the facts of the case. Since this is not the case, the case will proceed to trial and give you a chance to prove your innocence," said Judge Che Wan Zaidi.

The court has scheduled July 29 for case mention for the appointment of a lawyer and submission of documents. Roslan was granted bail of RM3,000 with one surety and ordered not to tamper with the witnesses.

Earlier, after the charge and case facts were read by the court interpreter, Roslan, a scrap collector, pleaded guilty but added that he had given his son a key.

"I gave him a key, but he refused to come inside. It's okay, I understand, I will just plead guilty," he said.

According to the charge, Roslan, who has custody of his 14-year-old son, neglected him by letting him sleep on the sidewalk of their flat in Pasir Gudang from 10 pm on July 7 to 8 am on July 9.

He was charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which carries a fine of up to RM50,000 or a maximum imprisonment of 20 years, or both, upon conviction.

The offence can also be punished under Section 31(1) of the same Act, which allows the court to, in addition to any other sentence, order the convicted individual to complete a good behaviour bond. 

Deputy public prosecutor Sharifah Natasha Syed Ahmad handled the prosecution, while the accused was unrepresented. 

Previously, Seri Alam District police chief, Supt Mohd Sohaimi Ishak, reported that a married couple, aged 56 and 54, were arrested last Wednesday after several photos of their son allegedly being forced to sleep on the sidewalk of a flat were circulated on social media. 

-- BERNAMA