High Court Reverses Sentence, ‘Datin’ Gets 8 Years in Jail

By Ammar Haziq  •  29 Mar 2018 in News

Thirsty for JUICE content? Quench your cravings on our Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp

As reported by The Star, the Shah Alam High Court today sentenced ‘Datin’ Rozita Mohamad Ali to 8 years in prison for abuse of her Indonesian maid 2 years ago. Her sentence is to begin immediately today.

Dressed in black and a pair of sunglasses, the accused appeared at the court accompanied by her lawyers.

Rozita was initially charged under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder, which carries a maximum jail sentence of 20 years upon conviction. Her charge was later amended to Section 326 of the Penal Code for causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means.

On March 15, Petaling Jaya sessions court judge Mohammed Mokhzani Mokhtar let Rozita off with a mere good behaviour bond of 5 years, even though the prosecution had pressed for a jail sentence considering the severity of the crime.

The accused, 44, was bound over 5 years on a good behaviour bond of RM20,000 after she pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt on her Indonesian maid Suyanti Sutrinso, 19, using a kitchen knife, steel mop, clothes hanger and an umbrella.

An online petition against the sessions court’s sentence attracted more than 70,000 signatures. Pressure from the public and prosecution resulted in the sentence being reverse by the Shah Alam High Court today.

Stating that the case involved public interest, deputy public prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad pressed for a deterrent sentence.

“This case (also strained) diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Indonesia,” he said.

For more news, click here.