KAJANG, June 6 — A caregiver at a daycare centre pleaded guilty in the Sessions Court today to a charge of endangering a 17-month-old girl, potentially causing her physical injury last month.

Nor A’in Ismail, 24, who is eight months pregnant, was charged with intentionally exposing the child to conditions that could lead to physical harm at a daycare centre in Bandar Mahkota Cheras at 4.15pm on May 28.

She was charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which carries a maximum penalty of RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to 20 years, or both, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Faelly Jeffrey Lanjungan proposed bail at RM20,000 with one surety and requested the court to schedule another date for the prosecution to submit a full medical report.

Nor A’in’s lawyer Wan Guan Hui, appealed for a lower sum, however, citing the absence of a criminal record and that she did not pose a flight risk.

Mazuliana Abdul Rashid granted bail at RM8,000 with one surety, required her to report monthly to the nearest police station and refrain from contacting the victim’s family.

Case re-mention was scheduled for July 2 to review the victim’s full medical report before sentencing.

Meanwhile, at the Magistrates’ Court, the owner of the same daycare centre, Chan Pei Kuan, 34, was fined RM3,500 after she pleaded guilty to operating the unlicensed childcare centre, in violation of the Child Care Centre Act 1984.

Chan was charged under Section 6(1) of the Child Care Centre Act 1984, which carries a maximum penalty of a RM10,000 fine or up to two years in prison, or both, upon conviction.

Magistrate Nik Siti Norazlini Nik Mohamed Faiz ordered Chan, who was represented by the same lawyer, to serve one month in jail if the fine was not settled. DPP Norfarhanim Abdul Halim appeared for the prosecution.

Previously, the media reported that the police were investigating allegations that a 17-month-old girl was abused by a caregiver at a childcare centre in Bandar Mahkota Cheras, Kajang.

Kajang District police chief Asst Commissioner Mohd Zaid Hassan, stated that the baby’s father lodged a report claiming his daughter was physically abused when she was being fed. — Bernama