2007 07: Mother jailed 8 years

NST Online. Local News. 11/7/07

By : Lydia Gomez

SHAH ALAM: Housewife Salina Abd Shukor who was convicted of abusing her 3-year-old son was described as an inhumane person for not allowing the boy to be treated.

DPP Salim Soib also accused Salina of being an irresponsible mother."What kind of human being would want to watch her son suffer and die when he could have been treated?" Salim said before Salina was sentenced at the High Court yesterday.

Salina, 29, who was last week acquitted of murdering her son, Syakir Abdul Aziz, had pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of child abuse.

For that, she was yesterday sentenced to eight years’ jail and placed on two years’ good behaviour bond of RM2,000 in one surety.

She pleaded guilty to abusing Syakir between 5.30pm on April 4 and 5pm on April 7, 2004, at their squatter home in Kampung Pinggir, Lembah Jaya Selatan in Ampang Jaya.

The boy was found dead on his bed in their home by his father, taxi driver Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman.

Salina, who seemed at ease chatting with her mother, elder sister and three children before proceedings, began to cry after the sentence was read out.

Counsel Hazlan Abd Hamid said in mitigation that Salina was a victim of depression which was caused by financial problems and deplorable living conditions.

"She refused to allow her relatives to take the boy to a doctor because her husband did not like outsiders interfering in their family matters," Hazlan said.

He added that Salina, who gave birth to her fourth child while in remand at the Kajang prison, was sorry for her actions and would like to be reunited with her family.

Facts of the case revealed that Syakir had sustained 29 different injuries.

The toddler died after his small intestines ruptured and the contents spilled out.

Post-mortem results showed that Syakir suffered for three days before he succumbed to his injuries.

During trial, witnesses revealed that Salina had initially led her husband to believe that her 14-year-old stepson had kicked Syakir in the stomach while she was out shopping for groceries.

The teenager agreed to take the blame out of pity for his stepmother but later told investigators the truth. Salina was then arrested and charged with murder.

Judge Datuk Zaharah Ibrahim presided over the trial.

When met outside the courtroom, Salina’s sister, 47-year-old housewife Sarimah, said: "My sister would never commit murder.

"I have decided to take care of her and her three children when she is released," she added.