PUTRAJAYA: The Sessions Court here yesterday ordered Muhdalena Ahmad, who has been charged with committing criminal intimidation and possession of a sword in the compound of the Prime Minister’s Department, to be detained and sent to a mental hospital.
Judge Mohamed Kamil Nizam made the order after her lawyer M Visvanathan, requested that his client be sent for further observation based on a recommendation by a doctor who treated her after the alleged incident.
He ordered Muhdalena to be placed under observation at the hospital for a month and postponed hearing of the case, which had been fixed for today and tomorrow.
The judge set Nov 23 for mention.
Earlier, Visvanathan told the court that Dr Umi Adzlin Silim, from the Psychiatric and Mental Health Department of Putrajaya Hospital, recommended Muhdalena to be referred to a psychiatric forensic specialist at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta for evaluation and treatment.
“The accused was admitted to Putrajaya Hospital Putrajaya on the day of the incident (July 16, 2012).
“According to the doctor’s assessment, the accused had delusional disorder with depressive disorder.
“The accused is being given anti-depression and anti-psychotic medicine everyday until today,” he added.
Based on a medical record tendered to the court, until her last appointment with the doctor on Oct 9, Muhdalena still had bad dreams and, like feeling she was a warrior from the past and ready to fight.
Muhdalena, 28, from Kota Damansara near here was charged on July 16 from her hospital bed in Putrajaya Hospital where she was warded after she was shot in the right thigh.
She is alleged to have committed criminal intimidation by threatening to cause grievous hurt to auxiliary policeman Lance Corporal Ridzuan Megat Ahmad in the vicinity of Complex B of the Prime Minister’s Department here at 2.30pm on July 9.
The charge, under Section 506 of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to seven years or a fine or both upon conviction.
Muhdalena, a graduate of the International Islamic University, was also charged with having in her possession, a sword at the same place and time.
The charge under Section 7(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958 carries a jail term of up to two years and a fine of up to RM2,000, or both, upon conviction.
In addition to that, two new charges under the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act 1959 were made against Muhdalena yesterday.
She pleaded not guilty to both charges.
On the first charge, Muhdalena was alleged to have disobeyed an order by Lance Corporal Ridzuan to drop her weapon in an area gazetted as a protected area.
On the second charge, she was alleged to have disobeyed an order by a minister by being present at the premises without having a pass card or permit issued by any authority.
She faced a maximum imprisonment for two years or RM1,000 fine or both on each charge if found guilty.
Judge Mohamed Kamil allowed both the charges to be tried together with the other charges and set an additional bail of RM1,500 with a surety for both charges.
Deputy public prosecutor Nadia Mohd Izhar prosecuted. — Bernama