TAWAU: Eight Form Two students, all aged 14, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court here Wednesday to taking part in a fight and riot captured in a viral video last month.
The students entered their guilty pleas after the charge was read before Magistrate Dayang Aidaku Amira Aminuddin.
They were charged under Section 147 of the Penal Code with being members of an unlawful assembly for the common purpose of fighting and rioting in front of a private alternative school in Jalan Apas at about 11am on April 10.
The offence carries a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both, on conviction.
The court fixed Nov 19 for mention pending the preparation of probation reports by the Social Welfare Department.
The students were also granted bail of RM500 each, with a family member as surety.
Prosecuting Officer ASP Jeffrey Kadison had earlier requested bail of RM4,000 for each accused.
However, the students appealed for lower bail, saying their families could not afford the amount and that their parents were low-income earners or unemployed.
The students, who are still attending school, appeared in court in civilian clothing.
Meanwhile, the cases of three other accused, aged 19, 18 and 16, were mentioned in their absence.
The 19- and 18-year-olds are serving five-month jail terms for illegally entering Malaysia, while the 16-year-old has yet to be sentenced.
Their cases were fixed for mention on Aug 21.
The students were previously remanded after a video showing a fight involving members of the public went viral.
The incident was reportedly linked to the circulation of edited AI-generated sexual images and videos depicting one of the accused and his girlfriend.
