Court Orders Foreign Student To Undergo Psychiatric Examination

KAJANG, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- A university student charged with eight counts of attempted murder and causing injury to seven victims has been ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation for a month starting today.

Sessions Court Judge Normastura Ayub and Magistrate Fatin Dayana Jalil ruled this after allowing the application by Deputy Public Prosecutors Faelly Jeffrey Lanjungan and Siti Nur Alia Safri, who said the accused, Chinese national Liu Ting, 24, appeared confused and did not understand the charges read out.

The court did not allow the accused to be granted bail and ordered the woman to be sent to Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta, Tanjung Rambutan in Perak for psychiatric examination, in addition to setting the case mention for Sept 19.

Previously, Faelly did not offer bail because the charges against the accused were serious and non-bailable, and also requested that the accused be sent to Hospital Bahagia for psychiatric evaluation.

“As the charges were read, the accused appeared confused and as if she did not understand the charges. Therefore, we request that the accused receive psychiatric treatment at Hospital Bahagia," she said.

In the Sessions Court, Liu pled not guilty to three charges: with intent to murder two men, aged 19 and 21, and causing injury to a 35-year-old woman, and if the accused had caused death, she would be guilty of murder.

The charge is under Section 307 of the Penal Code, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine. If the act causes injury to any person, the offender will be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted.

For the other two charges, she also pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to a 60-year-old woman by slashing her right arm with a knife, a weapon that could cause death if used improperly, and stabbing a 27-year-old man in the stomach with a knife.

Both charges were filed under Section 326 of the Penal Code, which provides for a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine or whipping, if convicted.

Meanwhile, in the Magistrate's Court, the accused was also charged with causing injury to two men, aged 21 and 49, as well as a woman aged 53, using a knife.

Liu understood the three charges read out by the interpreter, but she remained silent and made no confession.

All three charges are under Section 324 of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum imprisonment of 10 years or a fine or whipping or any two of those punishments, if convicted.

The eight offences were allegedly committed at Jalan Besar, at the Semenyih Persimpangan Metropoint junction and at a premises in the Metropoint Complex here, between 11.39 am and noon on Aug 13.

Previously, a video of the incident went viral on social media, showing a woman involved in an accident, before exiting her vehicle holding a knife. Also visible were several injured motorcyclists and attempts by the public to restrain the woman involved.

-- BERNAMA