KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — A kindergarten teacher in Batu Pahat has been fined RM1,200 after pleading guilty in the Yong Peng Magistrates’ Court for injuring a four-year-old child under her care by pinching the victim’s arm until it left bruises.

The accused, Nurul Amira Natasya Mohd Nazri, 25, offered an apology through her lawyer Mohd Razak Shariff during mitigation, saying, “I seek forgiveness for failing to control my emotions in educating children.”

Magistrate Arun Noval Dass sentenced her to a RM1,200 fine, in default one month’s jail. She paid the fine, according to a report published by Harian Metro today.

She was charged with voluntarily causing hurt to the girl at a kindergarten in Taman Sentang Jaya at about 10am on April 14.

The offence falls under Section 323 of the Penal Code, which provides for up to one year’s imprisonment or a fine of up to RM2,000, or both upon conviction.

Court facts showed that the child’s mother noticed bruising on her daughter’s right arm after picking her up from kindergarten at about 4pm on the day of the incident.

The child later revealed she had been pinched by her teacher.

Dissatisfied, the mother lodged a police report at Parit Sulong police station.

Police later arrested the teacher at the kindergarten to assist investigations.

Findings showed the child was pinched twice on her right arm, and medical reports from Hospital Sultanah Nora Ismail confirmed the injury.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Firdaus Ruslan.