Tahfiz fire suspects can be imprisoned for as long as consented by Ruler

PETALING JAYA: While the Keramat tahfiz fire suspects will not be sentenced to capital punishment due to age, they can be incarcerated for as long a term as consented by the state ruler said Datuk Seri Azalina Othman (pix).
The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department said no individuals would be spared from the long arms of the law, and that the seven suspects - aged between 11 and 18 - would be tried fairly and accordingly.
"Even if they are convicted for murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, Section 97 (1) of the Child Act 2001 explains that the death penalty cannot be sentenced on those below 18 years old.
"However, the court may sentence them to an imprisonment for as long as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or Yang Dipertua Negeri give their consent," she said in a statement today.
She added that the perpetrators may also be sentenced to a punishment as prescribed under Section 91 (1) of the Child Act, which among other things include imprisonment, light caning or be sent to an approved school.
21 tahfiz students and two teachers of the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz school were killed in a fire that engulfed the building at 5.15am on Sept 14.
The seven suspects, who were believed to have caused the fire, have since been arrested and remanded to facilitate the investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder and Section 435 of the same code for mischief by fire.
Azalina said Section 94 of the Child Act also provides the power to the court to order the parents of the suspects to pay a fine or compensation.
"This incident should be made as a lesson to all quarters, especially parents, in combating crimes involving children," she said.
The minister in charge of law also urged all quarters to stop speculating on the incident and provide the time and space for the authorities to complete their investigations.