KUALA BERANG: A restaurant worker was sentenced to three months’ jail and fined RM5,000 by the Magistrate’s Court here after pleading guilty to concealing the birth of her child by disposing of the infant’s body in a drain.
Magistrate Nur Athirah Hashim also ordered Nur Ain Adilin Mohd Rofiza, 23, to serve an additional five months in jail if she failed to pay the fine.
She was charged with committing the offence at Perumahan Awam Kos Rendah, Padang Setengge, here at 10pm on Oct 15, Bernama reported.
The charge was framed under Section 318 of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum jail term of two years, a fine or both, upon conviction.
Earlier, lawyer Nor Aziah Bunawan from the National Legal Aid Foundation urged the court to impose a minimum sentence in the form of a fine, saying Nur Ain Adilin is still young and had acted out of panic.
“The accused’s guilty plea has saved the court and prosecution time. She has also expressed remorse for her actions and pledged not to repeat the offence,” she said yesterday.
Deputy public prosecutor Nur Anith Nabilah Rusli urged the court to impose a jail term, citing humanitarian considerations as the case involved the accused’s own child.
She also stressed the need for a sentence that would serve as a deterrent to others.
Earlier, Hulu Terengganu district police chief Supt Sharudin Abdul Wahab said an infant’s body, with the head and one arm missing, was found in a drain in a residential area in Kampung Padang Setengge on Oct 16.
