Court imposes fines with jail term if payment is not made

A Malaysian court has fined a woman and her male friend after they admitted to burying the body of a baby, a case that falls under laws governing the concealment of birth.

Court Finds Two Guilty
A woman and her male friend were each fined RM5,500 by the Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to concealing a birth by burying a baby’s body.

Nur Atisha Balqis Ismail, 22, and Muhamad Razi, 26, admitted to the charge before Magistrate Wan Noora Nisa Ngadirin.

Incident at Islamic Cemetery
The pair were charged with burying the body of a baby at the Section 21 Islamic Cemetery at about 7pm on Feb 17.

Authorities stated that the baby had died before, during, or after birth, leading to the charge of concealment of birth under Malaysian law.

Legal Charge Under Penal Code
The offence was framed under Section 318 of Malaysia’s Penal Code, which addresses the concealment of birth through secret disposal of a child’s body.

Conviction under this provision carries a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.

Court-Imposed Penalty
The court ordered both individuals to pay fines of RM5,500 each. If they fail to pay the fine, they will face nine months’ imprisonment.

The sentence was delivered after both accused pleaded guilty to the joint charge during the court proceedings.

Defense Mitigation and Prosecution Argument
Muhamad Razi’s lawyer, Hazwan Hassan, told the court that his client had no intention of concealing the birth because the baby had already died.

Nur Atisha’s lawyer, Muhamad Saifullah Muhamad Azmi, requested that the court impose only a fine, highlighting that she was a young first-time offender. Deputy public prosecutor Nur Amirah Zahari urged the court to impose a sentence that would serve as a lesson to both individuals.

The case underscores how Malaysian law treats the concealment of birth as a serious offence, even when the circumstances involve a deceased infant. Court decisions in such cases aim to balance legal accountability with consideration of individual circumstances, reinforcing the importance of following proper legal and medical procedures in sensitive situations.

Sources: The Sun (2026)

Keywords: Nur Atisha Balqis Ismail, Muhamad Razi Case, Concealment Of Birth Malaysia, Section 318 Penal Code, Islamic Cemetery Case