Nine People Charged With Kidnapping Of Indonesian Citizens In Malaysia

The George Town Court on Pulau Pinang, Penang, Malaysia, Wednesday (15/3/2023). (ANTARA/Virna P Setyorini)

JAKARTA - The George Town Court on Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, charged nine people on charges of kidnapping an Indonesian woman (WNI) on September 7, 2023.

All defendants were charged with Article 3 of the 1961 Kidnapping Law (UU 365) and read out together with Article 34 of the Criminal Code with a penalty of 40 years in prison, if found guilty in court.

The defendants were Mohamad Noor Shahrizuan Hasin, Tan Gim Chun, C. Youganathan, Elaine Gooi Swee May, Lok Wai Lun, Haffizan Samsudin and Noorazlin Mat Kasa who were all Malaysians. While the other two, Agong Laksono and Yussuf Bahtiar, are Indonesian citizens.

According to the Police Attache of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia Kuala Lumpur Kombes Pol Juliarman Eka Putra Pasaribu, of the 14 people who were arrested from 15 to 17 September, in the investigation, only nine people were clearly proven to have played a role in kidnapping and torture.

"While the other five people did not clearly play their roles, so they were not brought to court," he said.

The victim is currently still at the Shelter Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) Penang, and is still in a state of psychological trauma.

All the defendants, aged 29 to 41, on Friday morning, had heard the accusations read out before Majidret Nadratun Naim Mohd Saidi.

The court determined the next trial and the submission of documents on December 11.

They were jointly charged with kidnapping a 36-year-old Indonesian citizen victim with the aim of demanding a ransom of 540,000 Malaysian ringgit (around Rp1.78 billion) in a Pangsauri Sri Aman unit, Paya Terubong on Pinang Island, at around 07.00 am local time, on 7 September.

Based on the Pinang Island Police report, the rescue operation was carried out on September 15 after the Bandar Kinrara Police Station in Selangor received a report from the husband of an Indonesian citizen who was the victim of the kidnapping.

According to Pinang Island Police Chief CP Dato Khaw Kok Chin, the victim who was kidnapped while on vacation there was held captive and injured.

From the results of the investigation, it was known that the Indonesian citizen who made the report was involved in commercial transactions but was neglected in the process of being resolved, causing family members to be kidnapped.