23-4-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) A sales promoter, Oo Saw Kee, 39, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined RM6,000, or an additional 12 months in jail, after pleading guilty to splashing hot water on a man with Down Syndrome.
Sessions court judge Ahzal Fariz Ahmad Khairuddin delivered the verdict, describing Oo’s actions as serious, cruel, and inhumane, especially against a disabled person. He emphasized that the victim had not provoked the incident.
“In this case, the court needs to consider the public interest rather than the personal interest of the accused,” he stated at the Balik Pulau court on Tuesday (April 23).
Oo admitted to intentionally inflicting serious injury on 33-year-old A. Solairaj by splashing hot water on him, causing burns, at 9:24 am on April 19 inside a lift of an apartment at Jalan Rajawali, Bayan Lepas.
She was charged under Section 326 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, along with the possibility of a fine or whipping upon conviction.
Oo was represented pro bono by Lawyer Edric Loo, while Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Noordin Ismail handled the case.
The incident came to light on Friday (April 20) night when police apprehended a woman for allegedly splashing hot water on a man with Down Syndrome in an apartment elevator.
Southwest acting police chief Deputy Superintendent Jafri Md Zain reported that the 39-year-old suspect was arrested at 9:21 pm within the apartment grounds.
“The woman resides in the apartment area, and she was remanded today (April 20) to aid investigations into the incident,” he stated.
The victim, returning to his apartment home on the 16th floor, suffered burns on the front and back of his right side due to exposure to hot water. He was subsequently taken to Penang Hospital, where medical officers confirmed his stable condition.
A 20-second video of the incident circulated on social media, prompting widespread condemnation of the woman’s actions.
