ROZITA Mohd Ali and her surety today failed to appear at the Shah Alam High Court for the review of her penalty for causing grievous hurt to her Indonesian maid. 

High Court judge Tun Abd Majid Tun Hamzah set March 29 to hear the prosecutor’s application for a review of the penalty.

Rozita, 44, pleaded guilty in the Sessions Court last week but escaped a jail sentence despite severely abusing Suyanti Sutrinso, 19.

The Sessions Court ordered Rozita to be placed on a good behaviour bond for five years in surety of RM20,000 for causing grievous hurt to the Indonesian.

The appeal to review the penalty was filed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers amid huge public outcry, with thousands of people signing an online petition demanding harsher punishment towards Rozita.

Selangor director of public prosecution Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad said, as of last night, attempts were made to locate Rozita and her surety, who is an air force official. 

“We tried to locate her at two addresses, one in Damansara and the other one at her family home in Malacca. 

“We managed to paste the notice of urgency at the bailor’s house, asking him to come to the court today,” he told reporters at the courthouse.

Rozita was charged with causing grievous bodily harm, which carries a jail sentence of up to 20 years, and a fine, if found guilty.

She allegedly used a knife, mop, umbrella, iron rod and clothes hanger to abuse Suyanti at a house in Mutiara Damansara on June 21, 2016.

The case drew massive outcry after a video of a seriously injured woman lying near a drain in the housing area went viral on social media.

Iskandar said the notice of urgency was pasted at the surety’s house in the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Subang, which was found vacant. 

Rozita’s homes were also vacant and her lawyer had withdrawn from acting on behalf of her, Iskandar said. 

The prosecution was only informed of the withdrawal yesterday. 

“I believe they can be found… they are still in Kuala Lumpur.”

Earlier, Iskandar told the court that they have yet to receive the conditions of the bond from the Sessions Court. 

More than 65,000 people have signed an online petition demanding a harsher sentence for Rozita. The number exceeded the original goal of 15,000 signatures. – March 21, 2018.