IPOH, Dec 1 — The father of four siblings found abandoned in front of a guardhouse last week pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court here today to charges of neglecting his children.

Kamarul Kamil Abd Rifin, 33, was accused of neglecting his four children, aged 10 months to 11 years, in front of the Perak Tengah District Administrative Complex in Kampung Gajah at 10.44am on November 23.

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

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

Judge Azizah Ahmad fixed February 6 next year for sentencing to allow the accused to appoint a lawyer.

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

On Monday, police arrested two people, believed to be the parents of the four siblings, after a staff member of the Kampung Gajah Social Welfare Department lodged a report about the incident.

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

Perak Tengah district police chief Supt Hafezul Helmi Hamzah said the siblings were believed to have been abandoned by an unknown woman, who was driving a Toyota car. — Bernama