The decision was conveyed by deputy public prosecutor Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin before sessions court judge Syahliza Warnoh today, Harian Metro reported.

Lawyers Haresh Mahadevan and Ramzani Idris, representing Zaim Ikhwan Zahari and Ismanira Abdul Manaf, said they would proceed with cross-examining the first prosecution witness.

However, the defence team requested a postponement of the first trial date on Jan 20 as they will be handling another case in Negeri Sembilan.

The court set Jan 10 for the submission of documents and scheduled additional trial dates from March 10 to 14.

It initially set 15 days for the trial: Jan 20 to 24, Feb 3 to 7, and Feb 17 to 21. Fifteen witnesses are expected to be called.

Zayn’s parents pleaded not guilty on June 13 to the charge of child neglect. If found guilty, they could each face imprisonment of up to 20 years, a fine of not more than RM50,000, or both.

The offence allegedly took place at Jalan PJU 10/1, Damansara Damai, between 12pm on Dec 5, 2023 and 9.55pm the following day.

Zayn was reported missing on Dec 5 last year. His body was discovered near his home in Apartment Idaman, Damansara Damai, the next day.

A post-mortem revealed multiple injuries, including defensive wounds, while the cause of death was believed to be strangulation.

Sinar Harian also reported that Fahmi Abd Moin was no longer representing the couple.

“We only received instructions for this new appointment from our client yesterday, but no reason was given to us for changing lawyers,” Ramzani was quoted as saying.