GEORGE TOWN, March 27 (Bernama) -- A Vietnamese woman pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court here today to two charges of drink-driving which resulted in the death of one teenager and injuries to another in February.
Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, 40, entered the plea after the charges were read to her in Mandarin by a court interpreter before Magistrate Nadratun Naim Mohd Saidi.
According to the first charge, the housewife allegedly drove a Honda Jazz while under the influence of alcohol, rendering her incapable of properly controlling the vehicle, which led to the death of 18-year-old Thomas Ch’ng Kai Hen.
The charge falls under Section 44(1)(a) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Amendment 2000), which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to RM100,000 upon conviction.
For the second charge, she is accused of driving the same vehicle on a public road while intoxicated, causing her to lose control and injure another teenager, Ooi Qi Heng, 18.
As a result, she was charged under Section 44(1A)(a) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Amendment 2000), which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to RM50,000 upon conviction.
She allegedly committed both offences on Jalan Jelutong at approximately 9.48 pm on Feb 19.
Deputy public prosecutor M. Darrshini proposed bail of RM15,000 for each charge and requested additional conditions, including the surrender of the accused’s passport to the court and the suspension of her driving licence until the case is resolved.
However, defence lawyer K. Mahendran pleaded for a lower bail amount, citing that the accused was unemployed and financially dependent on her husband, a hawker earning RM3,000 per month. He also said that she has three children aged between one and 16 years old.
The proceedings were also attended by lawyer Andy Ooi, who held a watching brief for the victims’ families, and lawyer RSN Rayer, who appeared as amicus curiae or a friend of the court.
Rayer urged the court to deny bail, arguing that the case involved public interest as it resulted in both fatality and injury to victims.
“The victims recently completed their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia. Public interest must be considered, as both victims were Malaysians. I request that bail not be granted since the accused is a foreign national,” he said.
The court then set bail at RM10,000 for each charge, requiring two Malaysian sureties. Additionally, the accused’s driving licence and passport must be surrendered to the court until the case is resolved. She was also ordered to report to the police station monthly.
The case is scheduled for mention on April 21 for document submission.
-- BERNAMA
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