KUALA BERANG, Nov 9 — A restaurant worker was sentenced to three months’ jail and fined RM5,000 by the Magistrate’s Court here today after pleading guilty to concealing the birth of her child by dumping the infant’s body in a drain.

Magistrate Nur Athirah Hashim also ordered the accused, Nur Ain Adilin Mohd Rofiza, 23, to serve an additional five months in jail if she failed to pay the fine.

She was charged with concealing the birth of her child by disposing of the infant’s body in a drain at Perumahan Awam Kos Rendah, Padang Setengge, here at 10pm on October 15.

The charge was framed under Section 318 of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum jail term of two years or a fine or both upon conviction.

Earlier, lawyer Nor Aziah Bunawan from the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK) urged the court to impose a minimum sentence in the form of a fine, saying the accused was still young and had acted out of panic.

“The accused’s guilty plea has saved the court and prosecution time. She has also expressed remorse for her actions and pledged not to repeat the offence,” she said.

However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Anith Nabilah Rusli urged the court to impose a jail term, citing humanitarian considerations as the case involved the accused’s own child and stressing the need for a sentence that would serve as a deterrent to others.

Earlier, Hulu Terengganu district police chief Supt Sharudin Abdul Wahab said an infant’s body, with its head and one arm missing, was found in a drain in a residential area in Kampung Padang Setengge on October 16.

He said the post-mortem examination confirmed that the infant was full-term. — Bernama