Kamarul Kamil Abd Rifin, 33, was accused of neglecting his four children, aged 10 months to 11 years as they were left unattended in front of the Perak Tengah Administrative Complex in Kampung Gajah at 10.44am on Nov 23, Bernama reported.

The charge under Section 33 (a) of the Child Act 2001 provides for a maximum of five years’ jail or a maximum fine of RM20,000, or both, upon conviction.

Anyone convicted under this subsection may also be sentenced to community service at the court’s discretion.

Judge Azizah Ahmad fixed Feb 6 next year for sentencing to allow Kamarul, who was not represented, to appoint a lawyer.

Deputy public prosecutor Evangelin Simon Silvaraj did not offer any bail.

On Monday, Bernama reported that the police had arrested two people, believed to be the parents of the four siblings. The arrest followed a report being lodged by an employee of the Kampung Gajah social welfare department (JKM), where the children had been staying since they were found last Thursday.

The siblings are three boys aged 11 years, three years and 10 months, and a six-year-old girl.

According to Perak Tengah police chief Hafezul Helmi Hamzah, the siblings were believed to have been abandoned in front of the district office by an unknown woman, who was driving a Toyota car.