JOHOR BAHRU, MALAYSIA: A 22-year-old university student studying in Singapore, Huang Xiaonan, was charged in Johor Bahru Magistrate’s Court on 5 December for kidnapping a 15-year-old Chinese national girl.
Huang, also a Chinese national, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The alleged offence took place at a hotel on Jalan Station in Johor Bahru at 4:08 am on 24 November.
Huang is accused of unlawfully confining the teenager with the intent to keep her in secret.
The charge was read in Mandarin, and Huang faces up to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine if convicted.
Bail denied due to flight risk
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Ameerah Allaudeen opposed granting bail, arguing that Huang, being a foreign national, posed a flight risk.
“The accused has no familial ties in Malaysia, and the severity of the case further justifies denying bail,” she said.
Huang’s defence lawyer, Mr Goh Poh Gek, appealed for bail, citing the accused’s cooperation during the investigation.
He argued that Huang has a distant relative residing in Johor willing to act as a surety and proposed surrendering Huang’s passport as a condition.
The magistrate ultimately denied bail, and the case is scheduled for mention on 27 January 2025.
Teenager found in Pahang
The teenager, reported missing by her father on 25 November after failing to attend school in Singapore, was later located in Kuantan, Pahang.
She had crossed into Johor via the Woodlands checkpoint on 24 November.
The girl’s father, a 48-year-old Chinese national, lodged police reports after his daughter failed to attend school in Singapore on 25 November.
The Singapore Police Force received a missing persons report regarding the girl at around 2:15 pm on 25 November.
Preliminary investigations suggested that she had left Singapore unaccompanied and voluntarily before the report was filed.
Media reports indicated that the father alerted Johor police on 26 November, which enabled them to locate and raid the premises in Kuantan later the same day.
During the raid, Huang was arrested, and various items, including mobile phones and clothes, were confiscated.
