Court Rejects Woman's Guilty Plea In Attempted Attack On Sultan Nazrin

IPOH, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- The Magistrate’s Court here today rejected the guilty plea of a woman who attempted to attack the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, during the state-level National Day celebration last August.

Magistrate Harith Mazlan made the decision after deputy public prosecutor Nasrul Hadi Abdul Ghani informed the court that a report from Hospital Bahagia Tanjung Rambutan, Ulu Kinta, stated that the accused, Nurhaswani Afni Mohamad Zorki, 41, was suffering from schizophrenia and was not of sound mind at the time of the incident.

“Currently, the accused has received treatment and is in stable condition. She is fit to stand trial and present her defence,” Nasrul Hadi said during the case’s re-mention proceedings.

Nurhaswani Afni was charged with assaulting or using criminal force against Sultan Nazrin Shah at the grandstand in front of the Ipoh City Council building on Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab at about 8 am on Aug 31.

The charge was framed under Section 352 of the Penal Code, which is punishable by imprisonment for up to three months, a fine of up to RM1,000, or both, upon conviction.

The court allowed the accused bail of RM10,000 in two local sureties and ordered her to report to the Ipoh district police headquarters once a month.

The court also set Dec 8 for re-mention of the case and the appointment of counsel.

On Sept 8, she was charged in the same court, but no plea was recorded as the accused was ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation and observation for one month at Hospital Bahagia Tanjung Rambutan under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

-- BERNAMA