Three Myanmar boys deny threatening elderly neighbour in Bukit Mertajam

Three Myanmar boys, two aged 11 and one aged 12, pleaded not guilty to criminal intimidation before Magistrate Roshayati Radellah in Bukit Mertajam. The charge was read to them for the second time.

The boys were jointly accused of threatening to injure a 71-year-old woman using several objects, including a mop, an iron rod, a white fluorescent light tube and stones. The alleged offence took place in front of a house at 23, Tingkat Binjai Empat Belas, Taman Sri Rambai, at about 6pm on October 22.

“The court should take into consideration that the alleged offence involves criminal intimidation against an elderly woman who is also their neighbour.”

The charge was brought under Section 506 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same code. If convicted, the boys face up to two years in prison, a fine, or both.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Zulfadzli Hassan proposed bail of RM4,000 for each accused, with a local surety, and requested that their travel documents be surrendered to the court. He also sought conditions requiring the boys to report to a nearby police station every two weeks and prohibiting them and their families from contacting or harassing the victim.

National Legal Aid Foundation lawyer Nur Najihah Ahmad Zulkarnain, representing the boys, appealed for bail on the grounds of their young age and family circumstances. She said two of the boys were still attending school, while the third, aged 11, was not in school.

The lawyer told the court that two of the accused’s mothers are housewives while the other works in a factory. Their fathers work as labourers earning about RM100 a day.

The court rejected the bail application and fixed November 10 for the submission of documents and the appointment of a Myanmar interpreter to read the charges again. The three boys and their parents were seen sobbing in the courtroom after bail was denied.

On October 27, police arrested four Myanmar boys aged between nine and 12 to assist investigations into the alleged criminal intimidation.