Four boys arrested after stones, iron rod thrown at elderly woman

BUKIT MERTAJAM – Discontented after being reprimanded for making a noise while playing at a playground, a group of children allegedly threw stones and launched an iron rod at a 71-year-old elderly woman in Taman Sri Rambai here.

The incident on Oct 22 left the victim feeling terrified, leading her to lodge a police report on Monday.

Seberang Prai Tengah district police chief Assistant Commissioner Nik Aminuddin Raja Abdullah said investigations revealed the incident occurred at around 6pm when the senior citizen admonished a group of children playing at a nearby playground for creating a disturbance.

He said the reprimand was ignored, following which the group allegedly reacted by throwing stones and launching an iron rod towards the victim.

"However, the objects thrown and launched did not hit the woman," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Nik Aminuddin stated that following the police report, authorities conducted an investigation before arresting four Myanmar boys aged between nine and 12.

"All of them were detained through several separate raids around Taman Sri Rambai here.

"We also seized several items of evidence believed to be linked to the incident," he added.

He further noted that all those arrested were brought to the Bukit Mertajam Magistrates' Court for a remand application.

"Remand has been granted for four days starting today until Oct 30 to assist with further investigations.

"The case is being investigated under Section 506 of the Penal Code, Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, and Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955," he said.

In light of this, he advised parents and guardians to monitor their children's behaviour and educate them to always respect others.

"Members of the public are also urged to maintain neighbourly harmony and report any security threats to the police for further action," he said.