July 21 decision on whether Zayn Rayyan's parents to enter defence in child neglect case
PETALING JAYA: The Sessions Court here today set July 21 to deliver the decision on whether Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin's parents, Zaim Ikhwan Zahari and Ismanira Abdul Manaf, are to enter their defence, or be acquitted of the charge of neglecting the six-year-old autistic child, to the point of causing physical harm to him.
Judge Dr Syahliza Warnoh fixed the date after deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin informed the court that the prosecution would be closing its case today, having called 28 witnesses over the course of the 20-day trial, which began on Feb 4.
'The court has set July 21 for the decision, and if the accused are ordered to enter their defence, the defence trial will commence on the same day, and continue until July 24,' said the judge.
The court also fixed May 23 as the deadline for written submissions, with reply submissions by June 6.
Among the witnesses called during the trial were Faizul Najib Abd Munaim, the first person to discover the victim's body; the child's babysitter Auni Afiqah Abas; forensic consultant physician Dr Rohayu Shahar Adnan; three investigating officers; and two 10-year-old child witnesses.
Earlier, Raja Zaizul Faridah announced that all 28 prosecution witnesses had given their statements, and that the prosecution did not intend to call any additional witnesses.
'There are no other witnesses to be called, and with this, we close the prosecution's case. We offer 23 witnesses to the defence, and the list has been provided,' said Raja Zaizul Faridah, who is handling the case alongside DPPs Aqharie Durranie Aziz and Nur Sabrina Zubairi.
When asked about the number of defence witnesses expected to be called, should the accused be ordered to enter their defence, defence counsel Ramzani Idris said that they may call up to seven witnesses.
The two accused are also represented by lawyers, Haresh Mahadevan and Lavanesh Haresh.
On June 13 last year, Zaim Ikhwan and Ismanira, both 30, pleaded not guilty to a charge of neglecting their six-year-old autistic son in a manner likely to cause physical harm.
The offence allegedly occurred along PJU Damansara Damai, between noon on Dec 5 and 9.55 pm on Dec 6, 2023.
They were charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which is punishable by a maximum fine of RM50,000, imprisonment of up to 20 years, or both, upon conviction.
Zayn Rayyan was reported missing on Dec 5, 2023, and his body was discovered in a stream near his home at Apartment Idaman, Damansara Damai, the following day.
He was believed to have been murdered, and an autopsy revealed injuries to his neck and body, consistent with self-defence.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Businessman claims trial to hiring, harbouring illegal migrant workers
GEORGE TOWN: A businessman was charged in the magistrate's court here today with two counts of employing six undocumented migrant workers and allowing one of them to remain on business premises last month. Tan Kah Harn, 38, claimed trial to both charges when they were read out before magistrate Nadratun Naim Mohd Saidi. On the first charge, he is accused of employing six Myanmar nationals, aged between 22 and 43, who did not possess valid work permits, at a business premises in West Jelutong at 1.30pm on May 29. The offence, under Section 55B(1) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963 (Act 155), carries a jail term of between six months and five years, and a maximum of six strokes of the rotan upon conviction. On the second charge, he is alleged to have permitted one of the Myanmar nationals without a valid pass to enter or remain on the premises at the same time and location. This offence, under Section 55E(1) of the same Act, is punishable by a fine of between RM5,000 and RM30,000, or imprisonment of up to one year, or both, for each undocumented individual, upon conviction. Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Danial Amir Saad appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was represented by lawyer K. Mahendran. Ahmad Danial requested bail to be set at RM15,000 for the first charge and RM5,000 for the second. However, Mahendran urged the court to consider a lower amount, saying that his client, a Penang resident, was married with two children and also caring for his ailing parents. "My client was released on police bail on June 3 and has been fully cooperative. He has complied with all conditions imposed, and we therefore request minimal bail," he said. The court set bail at RM8,000 for the first charge and RM5,000 for the second, and fixed July 15 for mention pending submission of documents.
Daily Express
3 hours ago
- Daily Express
Charged with using fake document
Published on: Thursday, June 12, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jun 12, 2025 By: Cynthia D Baga Text Size: Nazri is accused of submitting the fake claim statement which was a bill from Syarikat Pengangkutan Putra dated May 12, 2017 for payment of transporting two vehicles to Papar and three workers to move/carry goods when in fact the service was never rendered. Kota Kinabalu: A 45-year-old civil servant was charged with using a fake document to get claim amounting to RM19,100. Town Planning Officer, Nazri Hamburg, pleaded not guilty before Sessions Court Judge Jason Juga, to the charge against him on Wednesday. Advertisement Nazri is accused of submitting the fake claim statement which was a bill from Syarikat Pengangkutan Putra dated May 12, 2017 for payment of transporting two vehicles to Papar and three workers to move/carry goods when in fact the service was never rendered. He allegedly submitted the fake document dated June 12, 2017 to an Administrative Assistant (Finance) at the Sabah Town and Regional Planning Department with intention to deceive his principal. The alleged offence took place on Oct 2, 2017 at the Sabah Town and Regional Planning Department, here. The offence under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act (MACC) 2009, punishable under Section 24(2) of the same Act provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the false particulars, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction. The court fixed July 10 for pre-trial case management. Nazri was released on bail of RM10,000 with RM5,000 deposited in a local surety. The court also ordered Nazri to report once a month to the MACC office and his passport, if any, to be kept by the court. The court also reminded him not to disturb the prosecution's witnesses pending disposal of the case. MACC Prosecuting Officer Dzulkarnain Rouslan Hasbi prosecuted while counsel Hannan Razaini represented Nazri. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Civil servant loses RM13,000 to scammers
KOTA KINABALU: A civil servant lost RM13,000 in savings after he was believed to have been scammed by imposters. The victim, who is in his 30s, was said to have received a call from someone claiming to be an official from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and later, a policeman for spreading fake news on investments, job offers and gambling. Ranau OCPD Supt Mursalin Mahmud said the victim allegedly got the calls on May 27, first from someone claiming to be an MCMC officer. 'The caller claimed that his (victim) phone number was involved in the dissemination of fake messages, and then the call was allegedly reconnected to another individual who claimed to be a policeman from the Perak police headquarters,' he said. After speaking for quite some time, the man was ordered to transfer RM13,000 to a bank account belonging to one Muhammad Azlan, for 'account protection', he said. Supt Mursalin said the victim was also instructed to update photos and personal details every three hours to the 'cop' as a way of reporting himself to the police. 'Later, the victim realised that he had been cheated and lodged a report at the Ranau police station on Tuesday night,' he said. Supt Mursalin said this case is now being probed under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. He urged the public to keep calm and think rationally when receiving such calls from unknown persons or numbers to avoid getting scammed. He also warned against revealing any personal, banking or identification information through the phone, and to not carry out any monetary transactions online or via telephone. 'Always call back the police station or agencies allegedly involved on their official land-lines to verify any calls or matters,' said Supt Mursalin.
