KOTA TINGGI: A heavily pregnant Rohingya woman and her family members are facing 13 charges related to housebreaking, possession of stolen property, and illegal entry into the country.
Norjahan Ismail, 34, who is expecting her fourth child, pleaded not guilty to all charges during her appearance before magistrate Nurkhalida Farhana Abu Bakar at the magistrate's court today.
Her husband, Muhammad Ibrahim Md Yusof, 24, faces 11 charges, while their three daughters, aged 17, 14, and 13, along with son-in-law Mohamad Jamal, 19, were charged separately under the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Norjahan and Muhammad Ibrahim both denied three joint charges of housebreaking and theft, including the theft of jewellery, watches, and cash from several houses in Kota Tinggi between March and September.
If convicted under Section 457 of the Penal Code, they could face up to 14 years in prison.
The couple also denied eight additional charges of dishonestly retaining stolen property, including cash in various currencies, jewellery, and luxury watches.
These charges fall under Section 411 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine, or both.
Norjahan faces an additional charge of entering a house without permission in Mersing in May, an offence under Section 448 of the Penal Code, punishable by up to three years' imprisonment or a fine of RM5,000.
Meanwhile, Mohamad Jamal and the teenage girls were charged under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act for entering Malaysia without valid documents.
If convicted, they face fines of up to RM10,000, imprisonment of up to five years, and up to six strokes of the cane.
Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Khairuddin Khalid opposed bail, citing the couple's criminal records and pending cases in other jurisdictions, including Pontian, Kulai, and Butterworth, arguing that their history made them a flight risk.
The defence, represented by lawyer L. Mehnagha, sought bail, stressing on Norjahan's advanced pregnancy and the young age of some accused.
However, the prosecution countered that no documentation had been provided to support claims regarding their ages.
The court denied bail for all six accused and set the next hearing for Nov 14, pending the submission of documents.