JOHOR BARU: A Chinese national has been charged at the Magistrate’s Court here with the kidnapping of a 15-year-old girl.
The accused, Huang Xiaonan, a 22-year-old university student studying in Singapore, claimed trial before Magistrate R. Salini on Thursday (Dec 5) to kidnapping the teenager at a hotel in Jalan Station here at 4.08am on Nov 24.
Huang was charged with the kidnapping of the 15-year-old student, who is also a Chinese national, with the intention to confine her in secret.
The charge was read to him in Mandarin.
The offence was framed under Section 365 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to seven years and a fine upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Nur Ameerah Allaudeen did not offer bail, citing the offence as non-bailable.
"The accused is from the People’s Republic of China and is a flight risk.
"The accused also has no familial ties in Malaysia so there is a possibility of him absconding," she said, adding that the court should consider the severity of the case.
Goh Poh Gek, who represented Huang, appealed to the court to consider bail as the accused has been cooperative throughout the investigation.
"He also has a distant relative, who is a Malaysian, staying in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Skudai and is ready to be his surety.
"There is also no issue of flight risk as his passport would be surrendered to the court if bail is allowed and he will also obey all conditions set by the court," said Goh.
Magistrate Salini decided not to allow bail after hearing from both sides.
The court set Jan 27 next year for the next mention and the submission of documents.
In previous news reports, the Chinese national teenage student was found in Kuantan, some 326km away from where she was reported missing in Singapore.
She had entered Johor Baru through the Woodlands checkpoint on Nov 24.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar reportedly said that a 48-year-old Chinese national had lodged a report with the police on Nov 26, stating that his 15-year-old daughter did not attend school and was believed to be abducted by an unknown individual.
"The teenager did not show up at her school in Singapore on Nov 25 before being reported missing," he added.
The victim was rescued at an area in Kuantan, Pahang where police also arrested a 22-year-old Chinese national man at the same location.
