JOHOR BARU: A scrap metal collector was today charged at the Sessions Court here with neglecting his teenage son at a sidewalk of a flat in Pasir Gudang.
The 56-year-old man told the court that although he had passed his son the key to their flat, the latter had refused to enter their home.
"I gave him the key, but he didn't want to come in. It's alright, I understand. I'll just plead guilty," he said.
Judge Datuk Che Wan Zaidi Che Wan Ibrahim, however, rejected the accused's guilty plea after considering it was made conditionally.
"The accused must acknowledge the case's facts and enter an unconditional plea of guilty.
"If so, the court will allow you to establish your guilt during the trial," he said.
The man was charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.
The accused faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to RM50,000, or both if found guilty.
The incident was alleged to have occurred at 10pm on July 7 at a flat near Pasir Gudang after the 14-year-old teenager was found sleeping on a sidewalk for two days by a passerby.
Deputy public prosecutor Sharifah Natasha Syed Ahmad offered bail of RM15,000 with one surety along with conditions.
The accused, who was not represented by a lawyer in the appeal to reduce bail, informed the court that he had no surety and no money to post bail.
"My income is unstable. I have four dependents, including my son (the victim, who is the second child of two siblings)," he said.
The judge allowed the accused to be released on RM3,000 bail with the additional condition of not interfering with witnesses.
The case is scheduled to be heard on July 29.