The Magistrate’s Court in Ipoh on Wednesday rejected the guilty plea of a woman accused of attempting to attack the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, during the state-level National Day celebration last August.
Magistrate Harith Mazlan made the decision after Deputy Public Prosecutor Nasrul Hadi Abdul Ghani informed the court that a medical report from Hospital Bahagia Tanjung Rambutan in Ulu Kinta confirmed that the accused, Nurshazwani Afni Mohamad Zorki, 41, suffers from schizophrenia and was not of sound mind at the time of the incident.
“At present, the accused has received treatment and is now stable. She is fit to stand trial and present her defense,” said Nasrul Hadi during the mention of the case.
Nurshazwani Afni was charged with using criminal force against Sultan Nazrin Shah in front of the Ipoh Town Hall, Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab, at about 8:20 a.m. on August 31.
She was charged under Section 352 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of three months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to RM1,000, or both.
The court granted her bail of RM10,000 with two sureties and ordered her to report to the Ipoh Central Police Station once a month, on Mondays. The case has been fixed for mention and appointment of counsel on December 8.
Earlier, on September 8, she was brought before the same court, but no plea was recorded as she was ordered to undergo a one-month psychiatric evaluation and monitoring at Hospital Bahagia under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The incident, which shocked the public, occurred during the Perak State National Day Celebration, when a woman stormed the main stage and attempted to attack Sultan Nazrin Shah as the state anthem was being played.
