November 28, 2008 18:51 PM

Housewife Yim Pek Ha Out On RM200,000 Bail

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 28 (Bernama) -- Housewife Yim Pek Ha, who was Thursday sentenced to 18 years' jail for causing grievous hurt to her Indonesian maid, is out on a RM200,000 bail.

She was released from the Kajang Prison Friday after Sessions Court judge Akhtar Tahir allowed her application for bail in one surety, pending an appeal to the High Court.

Yim's husband, Hii Ik Ting, posted the bail at 3.30pm.

The former air stewardess, who was handcuffed and accompanied by four prison wardens, was taken to the Kuala Lumpur court registry at 4pm to sign her release documents.

Relating her one-night experience in prison to reporters, Yim said she was scared but relieved as she was treated well by the prison officers.

"The prison people treat me very well. This is the second time I went in...before this, I went in for remand for two months, so some of the staff there know me, they still remember me and treat me very well.

"They told me to have more faith and pray to God often and said that justice would be done," she said, breaking into sobs while talking to the reporters.

She said when she suffered an asthma attack this morning, the prison doctor gave her an inhaler.

Yim was taken to the Kajang Prison again to complete the prison's procedural requirement before her release.

Earlier in court, Akhtar, in allowing Yim's application, said the bail was granted as he was satisfied that Yim had never failed to attend the trial.

He said there was no reason for her to abscond and that she had four small children to take care of.

"The accused has the right as given by the law to pursue her appeal to the higher level until a final determination. She must be given liberty to appeal...but since she is now a convicted person, I increased the bail to RM200,000," added the judge.

He also ordered Yim to surrender her travel documents and imposed a condition that she had to inform the court of her movements whenever she left Kuala Lumpur.

Yim was found guilty of causing grievous hurt to Indonesian maid Nirmala Bonat, 23, with a hot iron and hot water at Villa Putera, Jalan Tun Ismail here in January, March and April, 2004.

She was jailed for 18 years on each count but Judge Akhtar ordered the jail terms to run concurrently, from Thursday.

Yim's counsel Jagjit Singh and Akbardin Abdul Kadir filed the appeal on the same day.

The housewife was first charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on May 22, 2004, and was granted bail of RM85,000 by High Court Judge Datuk Abdul Kadir Musa on July 19, 2004, pending the trial at the Sessions Court.

Noorin Badaruddin is deputy public prosecutor.

-- BERNAMA

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