Unfazed: Marhizan being escorted out of court after he was charged for reckless driving resulting in Lee’s death. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
BUKIT MERTAJAM: The trailer driver charged with reckless driving resulting in the death of a 21-year-old woman should be denied bail as he had not shown any remorse for his actions, a Magistrate’s Court has been told.
Deputy public prosecutor Zulfadzly Hassan told magistrate Mohd Harith Mohd Mazlan that Marhizan Johari, 51, had even shown the “peace” sign when he was brought to the court to be remanded last week.
He said despite the charge being a bailable offence, the accused should not be allowed bail as the case had stirred a lot of public interest with the footage of the accident going viral on social media.
Mohd Harith then denied bail to Marhizan and fixed Jan 24 for mention of the case pending the postmortem report on the deceased, Lee Zi Rou, as well as the chemist and Puspakom reports.
Marhizan, clad in a blue top and dark coloured trousers, looked unfazed when he was brought to court yesterday.
He claimed trial to the charge of reckless driving which resulted in Lee’s death by driving a trailer in a dangerous manner along Jalan Kebun Sireh in Bukit Mertajam at around 9.30am on Nov 13.
Marhizan, from Kangar, Perlis, who was unrepresented, was charged under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by reckless or dangerous driving.
The offence carries a sentence of five to 10 years’ jail, a maximum fine of RM50,000 and the suspension of his driving licence for five years.
It was reported that Lee, a clerk, was heading to work when the cargo container toppled over and crushed her car, killing her.
The container had also slammed into the driver’s side of another car. The driver, Tan Chou Theng, 25, was rescued by passers-by and is said to be hospitalised with serious injuries.
Lee was laid to rest on Sunday with hundreds of people, including family members and friends, turning up to pay their last respects.
