Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) acting executive chairman Yu Ren Chung said the authorities’ move to charge 36-year-old Maya Ahmad Fuaad would deter parents and the public from reporting child sexual abuse cases in the future.

“The Child Act and Sexual Offences Against Children Act say parents or anyone with knowledge of the crime have to report to the authorities.

“But charging Maya with making a false report sends a wrong signal to other parents,” she said after attending Maya’s case mention at the Magistrate’s Court today.

Maya claimed trial in April to allegedly lodging a false report to a police officer, Hazarul Shahkifly Setia, with the intention of calling upon the police to take action against K Mathurai Veeran, the driver of Maya’s former husband.

Voice of the Children executive director Shamila Sekaran said the Attorney-General’s Chambers should rectify the situation.

“We are more worried about alleged crimes not being reported. In fact, there is an issue of under-reporting of such cases,” she said.

During case mention today, magistrate P Sarulatha gave Maya a warning not to disturb an important witness in this case, which is her daughter, after the prosecution represented by deputy public prosecutor Nur Syazwanie Marizan bought the issue before the court.

Her case will be mentioned again on Sept 3.