In Johor, school van driver pleads not guilty to causing death of five-year-old left in vehicle
Yau Chee Weng, 56, entered the plea after the charge was read to him in Mandarin before Judge Mohamad Khalid Abd Karim.
Yau is accused of leaving the five-year-old boy in a multipurpose van, resulting in the child's death, in front of a kindergarten in Taman Bukit Indah, Iskandar Puteri, between 8am and 12.05pm on April 30.
He is charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a fine not exceeding RM50,000, or both, upon conviction.
In addition, pursuant to Section 31(2) of the Act, the court shall order any convicted person to execute a good behaviour bond for an appropriate period and perform community service of between 36 and 240 hours, to be completed within six months.
Deputy public prosecutor Sharifah Natasha Syed Ahmad appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was represented by counsel Goh Toh Jen.
Mohamad Khalid allowed Yau to be released on bail of RM7,000 with one surety, subject to additional conditions that he must not interfere with witnesses and must surrender his passport pending the disposal of the case.
The court then fixed June 12 for the next case mention.
On May 1, the media reported that a five-year-old kindergarten pupil had died after being left in a school van for over four hours in Taman Bukit Indah.
Iskandar Puteri police chief ACP M. Kumarasan said the boy, believed to have been left behind when the driver dropped off other pupils around 7.30 am, was found unconscious in the van at noon.
Subsequently, police arrested a man employed as a school van driver in the Taman Bukit Indah area at 2.40pm the same day. — Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Zayn Rayyan's mother closes defence after expert says messages showed no malice, verdict of neglect trial due Oct 31
PETALING JAYA, Aug 5 — The defence team for the mother of Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin, charged with neglect resulting in physical harm to her six-year-old autistic son, closed its case today after calling five witnesses. Defence counsel Haresh Mahadevan, representing Ismanira Abdul Manaf, 30, informed the court that the defence was closing its case following the testimony of child psychologist Dr Noor Aishah Rosli, 49, who took the stand today. 'The defence has no further witnesses, and we close our case today,' he said. Judge Dr Syahliza Warnoh then fixed Sept 8 for written submissions from both parties, Sept 22 for oral replies and Oct 31 for the verdict on whether to convict or acquit Ismanira. On July 21, the court ordered Ismanira to enter her defence after the prosecution established a prima facie case against her at the close of its case. She testified in her own defence over three days, beginning July 21. Earlier, Dr Noor Aishah testified that the following WhatsApp messages were normal expressions from a mother caring for an autistic child: 'haishhh stress nak mati' ( I'm so stressed I could die) 'budak ni elok je takde pun aku pukul… sebenarnya aku tepuk punggung masing-masing je tapi aku cakap perkataan berlasah sebab aku tengah geram dan marah sangat-sangat' (The kid's fine, I didn't actually hit him… I just smacked his bottom, but I said 'beat up' because I was feeling really annoyed and angry). 'From a psychological perspective, these should not be viewed as an intention to commit a crime. If you ask anyone, it's common for messages to a spouse to contain harsh words, but without any intent behind them,' she said. She described the messages as Ismanira's way of expressing affection for her son while venting to her husband, who was at work at the time. Dr Noor Aishah said the texts were emotional outbursts, light-hearted remarks, and not to be taken seriously, with no indication of malicious intent. 'I find these kinds of conversations reflect a marital relationship. The language may appear harsh, but it's just surface-level, idle talk meant only to release emotions,' she added during examination-in-chief by Haresh. Today's proceedings were conducted by deputy public prosecutors Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin, Aqharie Durranie Aziz and Nur Sabrina Zubairi, while Haresh, Ramzani Idris and Lavanesh Haresh appeared for Ismanira. On July 21, Judge Syahliza ordered Ismanira to enter her defence after ruling that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against her. Her husband, Zaim Ikhwan Zahari, 30, was discharged and acquitted of the same charge. On June 13 last year, Zaim Ikhwan and Ismanira, both aged 30, pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court to a charge of neglecting their six-year-old autistic son in a manner likely to cause physical harm, 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-defense. — Bernama
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Singaporean car owner caught filling RON95 into plastic container, Johor Domestic Trade Ministry launches probe
ISKANDAR PUTERI, Aug 5 — The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) Johor branch has initiated an investigation into a viral incident involving a foreign-registered vehicle that was seen filling RON95 petrol into a plastic container at a petrol station here. Johor KPDN, in a Facebook post today, stated that an inspection was carried out yesterday by a team of enforcement officers. The team reviewed CCTV footage, obtained the vehicle driver's purchase receipt and located the owner of the petrol station involved. 'Johor KPDN has met with the station owner and issued a stern warning to remain vigilant to ensure such incidents do not recur. A case has been opened under the Control of Supplies Act 1961,' read the post. If found guilty, individuals can face a fine of up to RM1 million, a maximum of three years' imprisonment, or both. For subsequent offences, the fine may increase to RM3 million, or imprisonment for up to five years, or both. For companies, fines can reach up to RM2 million, with repeat offenders facing fines of up to RM5 million. KPDN also urged the public to report any misconduct related to controlled goods and subsidies to the authorities, so enforcement actions can be taken promptly and effectively. Earlier, a photograph went viral showing the owner of a luxury vehicle, registered in Singapore, filling RON95 petrol into a plastic container at a petrol station in the Iskandar Puteri area. — Bernama
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Zayn Rayyan's mother closes defence in neglect trial, verdict due Oct 31
PETALING JAYA, Aug 5 — The defence team for the mother of Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin, charged with neglect resulting in physical harm to her six-year-old autistic son, closed its case today after calling five witnesses. Defence counsel Haresh Mahadevan, representing Ismanira Abdul Manaf, 30, informed the court that the defence was closing its case following the testimony of child psychologist Dr Noor Aishah Rosli, 49, who took the stand today. 'The defence has no further witnesses, and we close our case today,' he said. Judge Dr Syahliza Warnoh then fixed Sept 8 for written submissions from both parties, Sept 22 for oral replies and Oct 31 for the verdict on whether to convict or acquit Ismanira. On July 21, the court ordered Ismanira to enter her defence after the prosecution established a prima facie case against her at the close of its case. She testified in her own defence over three days, beginning July 21. — Bernama
