PETALING JAYA: A woman looked grief stricken as she stood in the dock to face a charge of negligence by leaving her toddler in a car which led to her death early last month.
Nur Sari Fardiana Mohd Amran, 38, who was dressed in a black jubah, listened attentively when the charge was read out to her before Sessions Court Judge Dr Syahliza Warnoh.
The online business owner said she understood the charge and pleaded not guilty.
The charge read that she had allegedly on Nov 8 negligently left her daughter Airis Heidi Mohammad Hafiz, aged two years and three months, in a car which led to her death.
She committed the offence on Nov 8 between 8am and 3.15pm in front of a house in Ara Damansara.
The offence under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 carries a maximum RM50,000 fine or jail not more than 20 years or both.
Deputy public prosecutor Anis Hakimah Ibrahim proposed a bail of RM15,000 with one surety.
As additional conditions, she said the accused must report to the police once a month and not harass prosecution witnesses.
In mitigation, Nur Sri Fardiana's defence counsel, Datuk Hanif Hassan said the bail sum suggested was akin to a punishment to his client.
"The amount is too high given my client's predicament as in this case, it was her own child.
"In the past month, she has been traumatised and unable to focus on her business and her income has declined," he pleaded.
He added that his client had given her full cooperation through police investigations and had this morning surrendered to the police and came to court to face the charge.
Judge Syahliza, after hearing and considering submissions from the prosecution and defence, set bail at RM7,000 with one surety.
She said the accused must report to the police station on the first of every month until the case is disposed of.
"The accused or representatives must not harass prosecution witnesses."
She set Jan 30 for mention.
After proceedings, Nur Sari Fardiana was seen with tears in her eyes as she waited for her sister to post bail.
It was reported that on Nov 8, the toddler, the youngest of three siblings, died after being left in a vehicle for eight hours in Ara Damansara.
Reports said the child's mother had forgotten to drop the child off at her kindergarten.
Petaling Jaya district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Fakhruddin Abdul Hamid had said they received information about the incident at 3.40pm that the victim was unconscious at a house in Ara Damansara.
He said initial investigations found that the victim's mother had dropped off her two children at a nearby school.
She later made her way to the child's kindergarten.
He said upon reaching the kindergarten, the victim's mother briefly stopped to handle her online business and forgot to drop her daughter off.
"The mother went back home and only realised that the child was unconscious in the car at 3.35pm," he said.
The victim's father called 999 and provided first aid until the ambulance and police arrived at the scene.
The victim was rushed to the Sungai Buloh Hospital for further treatment and was declared dead.