23-07-2025
Woman jailed for concealing birth of baby boy at homestay
The Kota Kinabalu Court Complex.
KOTA KINABALU (July 23): A 22-year-old woman was sentenced to six months in jail and fined RM2,000, in default two months' imprisonment, by a Magistrate's Court here for deliberately concealing the birth of a baby boy two years ago.
Armaya Matjani pleaded guilty before magistrate Dzul Elmy Yunus to a charge under Section 318 of the Penal Code. The section provides that anyone who secretly buries or otherwise disposes of the dead body of a child in order to conceal its birth may be punished with up to two years' imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.
According to the facts of the case, Armaya had wrapped the newborn in a blue plastic bag shortly after giving birth and hid the body behind a toilet tank at a homestay between November 1 and 2, 2023.
On November 6, 2023, a complainant reported a foul smell emanating from behind the toilet tank, where blood stains, a blue plastic bag and an umbilical cord were discovered.
Investigations revealed that Armaya had checked into the homestay using someone else's name via an online booking platform. She was seen to be pregnant at the time of check-in but appeared no longer pregnant upon checkout. She had checked in alone.
A police report was subsequently lodged, and a forensic team found the body of a baby boy wrapped in the blue plastic bag. The infant was confirmed dead.
Armaya, who was unrepresented in court, stated she was unmarried and did not know the whereabouts of the baby's father.
