'Datin' Rozita Given 8 Years In Jail After High Court Sets Aside Her Good Behaviour Bond
She finally appeared for her review hearing today.
By Sadho Ram — 29 Mar 2018, 01:00 PM
The High Court today, 29 March, sentenced the 'Datin', who pleaded guilty to abusing her Indonesian maid under Section 326, to eight years in jail. It set aside a lower court's non-custodial sentence which had placed the 'Datin' on a good behaviour bond.
Judicial Commissioner Tun Majid Tun Hamzah that the good behaviour bond imposed by the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court on 15 march was unjustified.
"I am of the view that the lower court has wrongly exercised its discretion in imposing the bond. This court’s order does not reflect the seriousness of this offence," the Judicial Commissioner said, according to a report by FMT.
He ordered Rozita to serve her jail sentence from today, 29 March, while refusing an application to postpone her sentence by her lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla.
Datin Rozita is seen being escorted by police at the Shah Alam High Court today.
Image via Yusof Mat Isa/The Malay Mail OnlineThe High Court also took the Sessions Court to task for assuming that Suyanti Sutrinso, the abused maid, had withdrawn her police report during the trial and so there's no case to consider anymore
According to FMT, Judicial Commissioner Tun Majid, during the review hearing, remarked that "Suyanti had been employed as a domestic worker, not a slave."
"Once a police report was lodged, it was no longer her case. It is now the state's case. And it is up to the attorney-general to pursue the case against the alleged perpetrator if he finds there is sufficient evidence for the complaint," he added.
Prior to her review hearing today, Rozita Mohamad Ali finally arrived at about 8.55am with her team of lawyers. She was clad in all-black.
According to NST Online, while Rozita's counsel asked for a minimum sentence on the grounds that his client is a housewife, the Deputy Public Prosecutor pressed for a deterrent sentence
"This case also (strained) diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Indonesia," DPP Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad told the High Court today.
