Trio charged with child abuse

In a bind: The nursery owner (left) and the two workers arriving at the Kajang magistrate’s court and (left picture) the children bound and lying on the floor at the unlicensed nursery. — Bernama

KAJANG: A nursery owner has been charged with three counts of abusing two toddlers and an infant, and also operating the place without a permit.

Two workers at the nursery have also been charged with abetting the owner in abusing the children.

The trio were arrested after pictures showing the children lying on the ground and tied up with pieces of cloth went viral on social media.

Owner Sayani Ahmad, 45, pleaded not guilty to abusing the children, aged between 11 months to a year old.

The children bound and lying on the floor at the unlicensed nursery. — Bernama

In the same court were nursery supervisor Nur Azureen Mohamad Nordin, 24, and worker Nurhazirah Mohd Azuki, 25, who face three charges of abetting Sayani in abusing the children.

The three were said to have committed the offence at Taska Ilham Kasih in Garden Home, Bandar Baru Bangi at 10.12am on Jan 3.

Deputy public prosecutor Siti Noor Hafizan Zakaria asked for bail to be set at RM10,000 for each of the charges of abusing the victims and abetting, and RM5,000 for operating the nursery without a permit.

In seeking a lower bail, counsel Joseph George said Sayani was the sole breadwinner of her family and earned between RM3,500 and RM4,000 each month.

George said his client had two children while her husband was not working and undergoing haemodialysis treatment.

He applied for a RM500 bail each for Nur Azureen and Nurhazirah, and added that both worked at the nursery to support their parents and siblings in Kelantan.

Judge Noridah Adam fixed bail at RM10,000 for each accused pending mention on Feb 21.

She also ordered them not to disturb the victims and their family members.

They managed to post bail.

Kajang police chief Asst Comm Othman Nanyan was quoted in earlier reports as saying that the pictures were believed to have been recorded on Dec 27 by a former employee of the nursery.