A 24-year-old woman from China who was studying in Malaysia has been charged with attempted murder and causing voluntary hurt after she allegedly attacked several people with a knife in Kajang earlier this month.
The student, identified as Liu Ting (transliteration), was brought to court yesterday to face charges related to the attack last Wednesday (Aug 13).
Faced multiple charges for knife attack
Liu appeared in the Kajang Sessions Court, where she was charged with three counts of attempted murder and five counts of causing injury, according to China Press.
It was reported that she pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder and two counts of causing injury. However, she didn’t enter a plea for the remaining three charges.
For the charges of attempted murder, she was accused of attacking three individuals with a knife near a shopping mall intersection at noon on August 13 after getting into a car accident.
If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine, and if the victims suffered injuries, the jail term is increased to a maximum of 20 years under Section 307 of the Penal Code.
As for the two charges of voluntary causing hurt with a dangerous weapon, Liu was accused of stabbing a man at an ice-cream shop inside the mall and injuring another woman at a tailor shop.
She faces a jail term of up to 20 years, a fine, or whipping if convicted under Section 326 of the Penal Code.
At the Magistrates’ Court, Liu was charged with three counts of causing voluntary hurt under Section 324 of the Penal Code, with each carrying a sentence of up to 10 years in prison or a fine.
She told the court that she understood the charges but didn’t enter a plea.
Had self-inflicted injuries
When brought to court for the hearing, Liu’s face was visibly covered with multiple bruises, where she later told the judge it was due to her banging her head against the wall while in detention.
Liu’s lawyer appealed for bail, stating that she is a student at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), has paid her tuition fees, and has no reason to abscond.
He added that she displayed no mental or behavioral issues at the university and cited her father’s full cooperation with police investigations.
However, the deputy public prosecutor objected, arguing that the offences are non-bailable and that Liu didn’t seem to fully comprehend the charges.
The prosecutor also requested that Liu be sent to a psychiatric hospital for a month for observation and assessment, which was approved by the court.
The case is scheduled for its next hearing on Sept 19.
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