M’sian mum allegedly pours hot water onto son for depleting her mobile internet data

MALAYSIA: A woman faced the Sessions Court here in Malacca last Tuesday (26 Sep) on charges of pouring hot water on her 13-year-old son last year, allegedly in anger over his excessive mobile data usage.

The 37-year-old accused, however, pleaded not guilty once the charges were read out by the court interpreter in front of Judge Mohd. Sabri Ismail.

According to the allegations, the accused is charged with intentionally causing severe injuries to her 13-year-old son by pouring hot water on him.

The incident took place around 2:56 am in a house in Sungai Udang on 27 June 2022.

Motive and patterns of abuse

The reason for this startling incident seems to stem from a conflict related to mobile phone internet data.

Allegedly, the victim, who is the second among four siblings, had exhausted his mother’s mobile data, which resulted in a violent altercation.

Reports suggest that this incident may not have been isolated, as the accused had allegedly subjected her son to physical abuse in the past, but this was not reported until a teenage friend noticed marks on the victim’s school uniform.

The concerned friend then reported the incident to their own mother, who took immediate action by reporting the case to the police, as reported by a Malaysian media outlet, Kosmo.

During the court proceedings, the Deputy Public Prosecutor Wardah Ishhar requested that bail not be granted, taking into account the fact that the accused and the victim live in the same house.

The accused, who was not represented by a lawyer, did not make any appeal for bail.

The court agreed with the prosecution and set 26 October as the next hearing date for the case.

If found guilty, the accused could face imprisonment for up to 20 years and may be fined or caned, as per Section 326 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 326A of the same code.