THE 12-year-old boy who was caught on video driving a Perodua Viva in a residential area in Puchong has been charged with underage driving in the Magistrates’ Court today (Aug 7).
According to Free Malaysia Today, the proceedings before Magistrate Muhammad Bukhori Md Ruslan were held behind close doors as the case involves a juvenile.
Speaking to reporters after proceedings, lawyer Nabilla Rosli said the child was charged under Section 39(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 having committed the offence on July 28 at Taman Putra Impiana, Puchong.
Meanwhile, the boy’s father, who was earlier charged with child neglect, was slapped with another charge under the Road Transport Act 1987.
The accused, who is a permanent resident and small-scale carpet salesman with five children aged six to 19, pleaded not guilty to permitting the child to drive the vehicle despite being underage.
The charge was framed under Section 39(5) of the act, which provides for a maximum RM2,000 fine, up to six months in prison, or both, upon conviction.
Bukhori allowed the child and his father bail of RM500 and RM2,000 respectively and fixed Sept 4 for case mention.
The boy’s father claimed trial earlier to a charge of neglecting and exposing his son to danger. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years’ jail, a maximum RM50,000 fine, or both.
In a video that went viral, the car being driven by the child can be seen going over a speed bump before coming to a halt around the corner after being flagged down.
The woman who recorded the incident then confronted him, and found the boy’s two younger siblings, including one with a pacifier in the mouth, standing in the front passenger area without the safety belt.
According to the report, this is also not the first time the boy was believed to have been seen driving the car. – Aug 7, 2024
Main image credit: MustShareNews
