KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — A mother of two and an underage girl appeared at the Sessions Court today to face charges of pimping minors for sexual exploitation at a budget hotel in Kangar earlier this month, the New Straits Times (NST) reported today.

Shakila Latif, aged 25, from Sik, Kedah and a 17-year-old girl from Langkawi nodded when a court interpreter read the charges in front of Judge Musyiri Peet.

In Malaysia, those under the age of 18 are considered minors and cannot be named publicly.

For the first count, the two were jointly charged with trading a girl, 16, for sexual exploitation in room 309 of a budget hotel on Persiaran Jubli Emas, Kangar. The alleged offence occurred at 6.20pm on July 2, 2024.

They were also charged with jointly trading a 14-year-old girl, who did not have an identification card, for sexual exploitation in room 301 of the same budget hotel at around 6.25pm the same day, according to NST.

The charges fall under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007, which stipulates a punishment of lifetime imprisonment or no less than five years' jail and whipping.

Both accused were unrepresented by lawyers.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Alia Suzila Chek Pi who prosecuted the case urged the court not to offer bail to both accused, considering the seriousness of the offence, or to set bail at no less than RM40,000 each.

In mitigation, Shakila requested a lower bail amount, citing her responsibility to support her two children with her income from a laundry shop.

NST reported an unnamed woman appeared on behalf of the 17-year-old accused and pled for a minimum bail amount, sayng the latter's parents were not earning a steady income.

The judge set bail at RM25,000 for each accused and ordered them to report to the police station every month pending trial.

The court scheduled a mention date for August 22 to allow the two accused to engage a lawyer.

On July 2, police arrested the two on suspicion of pimping the underage girls for sexual exploitation at a budget hotel.

The accused were believed to have stopped at the hotel while transporting the girls from Langkawi to Cameron Highlands in Pahang.