Young mum pleads guilty to unlawfully transferring custody of newborn

A 24-year-old woman, S Kelsey, who recently gave birth pleaded guilty in a Malaysian court on October 4th to transferring custody of her newborn child illegally. She made the plea before Judge Nabisha Ibrahim in the Sungai Petani Sessions Court, with her sentencing set for October 5th.

Kelsey was charged with participating in a transaction to transfer custody of her 12-day-old baby in exchange for RM17,300 at a private hospital between August 18th and 21st. This act is punishable under Section 48(1) of the Child Act 2001, which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 and up to 20 years imprisonment.

Kelsey's lawyer, RSN Rayer, requested a lower bail amount, explaining that Kelsey had been unemployed since becoming pregnant and needed to care for her family. The judge granted bail of RM10,000 and ordered Kelsey to surrender her passport.

In addition to the custody transfer charge, Kelsey also pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a 33-year-old woman's MyKad, an offence under Regulation 25 of the National Registration Regulations 1990. This charge carries up to two years in prison or a RM3,000 fine. The judge also granted bail of RM1,500 in this case.