They were charged under Section 130V(1) of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of between five and 20 years, if convicted.
No plea was recorded as the SOSMA Act was invoked, which means the case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court, local media reported.
An accountant from GISB Holdings, 73-year-old Hamimah Yakub, was also among the 22 charged in October but she was released on bail earlier on Jan 13.
FMT reported then that she was bailed at RM40,000 with two sureties.
Latifah – who had also presided over that case in January – had said that the decision took into consideration the lack of objections from the prosecution and that Hamimah, as a woman, fell under exemptions stipulated under the SOSMA Act.
“The court also considered the age of the applicant, who is now 73, and submitted evidence of her health problems,” Latifah said then.
Like the eight other women that were granted bail on Monday, Hamimah was also prohibited from contacting any of the prosecution witnesses. She is also required to report to the Kajang police headquarters every two weeks until the trial ends.
Section 13(2)(b) of SOSMA specifically allows for consideration of release under bail for women, minors or those suffering from severe illness, FMT reported.
Hamimah’s lawyer Kamal Hisham Jaafar had argued in January that she suffered from multiple health conditions, including asthma, diabetes, hypertension and chronic eczema.
At least seven states – Perlis, Selangor, Pahang, Sabah, Melaka, Penang and Johor – have declared the teachings and practices of GISB Holdings as deviant.
Malaysian authorities began their operations against GISB on Sept 11 last year, with over 625 victims aged between two months and 28 years old rescued.
Source: CNA
