SHAH ALAM: A husband and wife have been charged in the Magistrate's Court here with violating the Counsellors Act 1998 for organising a marriage motivation programme in Shah Alam in 2024.
Shazifh Osman, 38, and Munira Hishamshah, 37, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read before Magistrates Wan Noora Nisa Ngadirin and Cynthia Noor Haizean Sulaiman.
According to the charge, the couple, both aesthetic doctors, were accused of unlawfully engaging in activities reserved for registered counsellors at a convention centre here from Sept 27 to 30, 2024.
The charge was brought under Section 22(1)(a) of the Counsellors Act 1998 and is punishable under Section 22(2) of the same Act, which provides for a maximum sentence of three years' imprisonment, a fine of up to RM30,000, or both, upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin proposed bail of RM10,000 each with one surety, with both accused ordered to surrender their passports to the court and report to the nearest police station once a month.
Lawyer Alhirzan Mahamad Akhir, representing the couple, appealed for a lower bail amount, noting that his clients could only afford RM3,000 as their clinic business had declined and Munira was caring for her cancer-stricken mother.
The court set bail at RM7,000 for Shazifh and RM5,000 for Munira, each with one surety, and ordered their passports to be surrendered to the court for safekeeping.
The case mention has been scheduled for Nov 24. – Bernama
