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The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has slated April 4 as the date for the decision on the judicial review application filed by Pertubuhan Kebajikan Rumah Bonda Kuala Lumpur (Rumah Bonda). This application challenges the sealing of its premises by the Federal Territory Social Welfare Department (JKM). The decision, scheduled for 10 am, follows submissions from both parties conducted via Zoom, as announced by Judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid.
Rumah Bonda, represented by its chairman Siti Bainun Ahd Razali, initiated the judicial review application on August 13, 2021. The respondents named in the application are the director of the Federal Territory JKM and the Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development.
Earlier, on November 15, 2021, the High Court dismissed Rumah Bonda's application for leave to initiate a judicial review. The decision was made following an objection by the Attorney General’s Chambers. The sealing of Rumah Bonda's premises in Taman Setapak by JKM was in response to the alleged abuse of a Down Syndrome teenager known as Bella.
The Court of Appeal, on July 25, 2023, ordered the judicial review application by Rumah Bonda to be reinstated for hearing at the High Court. A panel of three Court of Appeal judges unanimously agreed that there was merit in Rumah Bonda’s appeal.
Siti Bainun's application for judicial review argued that the seal order issued by JKM on July 9, 2021, and the subsequent sealing of the premises on July 12 were influenced by public pressure. The alleged child abuse case at the home gained widespread attention after media reports surfaced on July 5, prompting a swift response from JKM and the government.
Siti Bainun claimed that the actions taken by the respondents were hastily executed under public pressure to address the alleged abuse case. Notably, on May 3, 2023, the Sessions Court sentenced Siti Bainun to a 12-year prison term after finding her guilty of neglecting and abusing Bella in a Wangsa Maju condominium unit between February and June 2021.
As the April 4 decision date approaches, the outcome holds significant implications for Rumah Bonda and the ongoing legal scrutiny surrounding the alleged abuse case and the subsequent sealing of its premises.
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