A man charged with slashing a surau caretaker with a parang last week pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court today and asked to be referred to a mental hospital while awaiting trial.
The accused, Kamarulzaman Kamarudin, 55, a divorced father of three, entered his plea before judge Noor Sakinah Haroon Arashid.
According to the charge, Kamarulzaman is accused of attacking 68-year-old Normuda Mod Noor with a parang at a surau in Kamunting on the afternoon of Dec 10. The offence is charged under Section 326 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine, or whipping if convicted.
Deputy public prosecutor Nur Syuhada Muhammad Lutfi appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was represented by counsel Puteri Hikmatul Raudah Dzulaikha Mohamad from the National Legal Aid Foundation.
The prosecution proposed bail at RM15,000 with one surety, along with additional conditions that the accused refrain from contacting the victim and report to the police station once a month.
In mitigation, defence counsel told the court that Kamarulzaman is self-employed, earning about RM50 a day, and is divorced. She added that he had previously been referred to a psychiatric hospital on three occasions and requested that he be sent for treatment while awaiting the next court mention.
However, the court was informed that no psychiatric treatment letter was included in the police investigation papers.
The defence applied for bail to be reduced to RM2,000, while the prosecution urged the court to set an appropriate amount, noting that the case had drawn widespread public attention.
The court allowed Kamarulzaman, who was not accompanied by family members, to be released on bail of RM8,000 with one surety. The court also imposed the additional conditions requested by the prosecution.
The case has been fixed for remention on Jan 29, 2026.
