A 31-YEAR-OLD housewife was fined RM7,000 by the Sessions Court in Batu Pahat on Thursday after pleading guilty to neglect that resulted in her infant daughter being injured after falling from a disposable diaper changing rack.
Judge Osman Affendi Mohd Shalleh also ordered Nurul Hayat Saharudin to be placed on a good behaviour bond with a RM2,000 surety from a guarantor and to complete 120 hours of community service over six months, effective immediately.
The court further ruled that she would face seven months’ imprisonment if she failed to pay the fine, which she subsequently settled.
According to the charge, Nurul Hayat was accused of negligence that caused physical injury to her daughter at their home in Kampung Punggur Darat, Rengit, at 9 am on 11 December last year.
She was charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which provides for a maximum penalty of RM50,000, 20 years’ imprisonment, or both.
Police reports revealed that the baby, aged just 50 days, suffered injuries to her head and chin after falling from the changing rack, which was approximately 80 centimetres high.
Investigations indicated that the child had been left unattended while Nurul Hayat went to the kitchen to prepare milk. She later heard her daughter crying and rushed to find the infant had fallen.
The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Sharifah Natasha Syed Ahmad, while Nurul Hayat was represented by lawyer Siti Farha Garieb from the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK). -November 20, 2025
