KUCHING: The Magistrates’ Court here today ordered a 15-year-old boy to be placed at the Henry Gurney School until the age of 21, in connection with a deadly road accident that claimed five lives along Jalan Teo Kui Seng here, earlier this year.
Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan issued the order following the hearing of a character report from the Social Welfare Department (JKM) regarding the boy.
The tragic crash on January 14 involved two Proton Sagas, a Toyota Altis, and two motorcycles. Among the five individuals who lost their lives were two 16-year-old male students, both of whom were passengers in the vehicle driven by the underage teen.
According to the first amended charge, the boy was charged under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 and punishable under the same section for driving recklessly on a public road, resulting in the deaths of five individuals aged between 16 and 42.
If convicted, the offence carries a jail term of not less than five years and not more than 10 years, and a fine of not less than RM20,000 and not more than RM50,000.
For the second charge, he was found guilty under Section 39(1) of the same Act for operating a Proton Saga while being under the legal driving age of 16. The court fined him RM1,500 or two months’ jail in default.
If convicted, the offence carries a fine not exceeding RM2,000 or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both.
The court ordered that the boy be sent to the Henry Gurney School until the age of 21 in relation to the first amended charge.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Fadzri Azham Zainudin, during today’s proceedings, urged the court to impose a heavy sentence on the accused, stressing the gravity of the offence, public interest, and the loss of five lives.
Mohd Fadzri argued that the boy had shown no remorse for the offence committed and that a heavy sentence was necessary to send a clear message to the public to prevent similar offences.
He also said that similar fatal accidents frequently occur in Kuching.
The teen was unrepresented by legal counsel throughout the proceedings.
Separately, his father, Lawan Akie Suma, 35, was fined RM15,000 or 12 months’ jail for failing to properly supervise his son, which led to the tragic accident. He pleaded guilty before Court Assistant Registrar Nuraini Ahmad under Section 33(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.
Lawan, a labourer, was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service within four months under Section 33(2) of the same Act.

