‘We have commitments from January to March’, Siti Bainun's lawyer says

KUALA LUMPUR – Lawyers representing Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali may have withdrawn from the case due to overlapping dates with other cases.

Lawyer Nurul Hafidzah Hassan said the overlap in dates had caused them to withdraw because several cases had their dates set earlier.

"We have commitments from January to March, we can't do much because work was delayed since last year and is now going to trials.

"The overlap in dates was with a case decided earlier and required thorough preparations, we are forced to withdraw because there's no available dates," she said through an Instagram post.

She said the legal withdrawal of lawyers were common.

"The overlap in cases is not a reason to run, we have informed since December regarding the issue of attendance in January, February and March," she said.

On Tuesday, Sinar reported that two of Siti Bainun’s lawyers withdrew in the last minute of the defence proceedings in the neglection and mistreatment case of a girl known as Bella which led Bainun to cry in the dock at the Sessions Court, here.

Bainun, 31, was seen wiping off her tears when judge Izralizam Sanusi said the court received the withdrawal notice from lawyers Asiah Jalil and Nurul Hafidzah Hassan at 9pm on Monday.

With the withdrawal of the two lawyers, this brought the number to five lawyers who were no longer represent the woman in her defence proceedings.

On Monday three lawyers who represented Siti Bainun earlier withdrew from the cases. The lawyers were Mohammad Farhan Maaruf, Nur Ellena Mohamed Razif and Nur A’minahtul Mardiah Md Nor.

Farhan and Ellena filed the written application on Friday while Nur A'minahtul made the application to withdraw openly.

On Nov 24, Bainun was ordered to enter her defence on the two charges.

On Aug 20, 2021, Siti Bainun was charged in the Sessions Court, here with neglecting the 13-year-old down syndrome child until she suffered physical and emotional injuries.

On Nov 20, 2021, Bainun was accused once again in the same court on the charges of abusing the same victim.