KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 — The High Court here set April 4 for the decision on an application by Pertubuhan Kebajikan Rumah Bonda Kuala Lumpur (Rumah Bonda) for a judicial review to challenge the Federal Territory Social Welfare Department’s (JKM) action in sealing its premises.
Rumah Bonda, through its chairman Siti Bainun Ahd Razali, filed the judicial review application on Aug 13, 2021, naming the director of the Federal Territory JKM and the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development as the first and second respondents.
Lawyer Asiah Abd Jalil, representing Rumah Bonda, said that Judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid set the date after hearing submissions from both parties via Zoom today.
“The decision will be delivered via Zoom at 10 am,” said the lawyer told reporters.
On November 15, 2021, the High Court, in allowing an objection by the Attorney-General’s Chambers, dismissed Rumah Bonda’s application for leave to initiate a judicial review of the action by JKM in sealing its premises at Taman Setapak.
The action by JKM followed the alleged abuse of a Down Syndrome teenager known as Bella.
On July 25, 2023, the Court of Appeal ordered the judicial review application by Rumah Bonda to be reverted for hearing at the High Court after a panel of three Court of Appeal judges, in a unanimous decision, said there was merit in Rumah Bonda’s appeal.
In the application, Siti Bainun stated, among others, that the seal order issued by JKM on July 9, 2021, and the sealing of the premises on July 12 were influenced by public pressure, following media reports on allegations of child abuse at the home which went viral on July 5.
Siti Bainun claimed that the action by both respondents was done in haste following public pressure for JKM and the government to take action with regard to the alleged abuse case at the premises.
On May 3, 2023, the Sessions Court ordered Siti Bainun to serve a 12-year prison sentence after finding her guilty of two charges of neglecting and abusing Bella in a condominium unit in Wangsa Maju here between February and June 2021.
— Bernama
