KUALA LUMPUR: A female clerk from the Accounts and Revenue Unit at the Road Transport Department (JPJ) office in Wangsa Maju sobbed as she was sentenced to four in years in prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery involving more than RM700,000 early this month.

Sessions Court Judge Zainal L. Salleh meted out the sentence against Norzaisyima Ahmad Zaidin (pic), 40, and ordered her to serve the jail sentence from the date of her arrest on July 11.

In his judgment Friday, he said the offence committed by Norzaisyima was serious as she was an entrusted staff in the department.

"Your actions are like, harapkan pegar, pegar makan padi (betrayal of trust by those in positions of responsibility). Did you not think of your children before committing the offence? As humans, we should think first before doing anything.

"Hardships and owing money to Ah Long (loan sharks) is not a reason for committing an offence, and now, the rice has already become porridge (the situation is irreversible)," Zainal said, adding that the court took into account public interest before sentencing the accused.

Norzaisyima, a mother of seven, was jointly charged with another person still at large, of committing the offence using machetes to rob RM754,840.30 belonging to JPJ at its Wangsa Maju office here at 5.30pm on July 4.

The accused, dressed in a pink baju kurung and blue headscarf, was charged under Section 395 of the Penal Code read together with Section 397, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and whipping, if convicted.

Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Amira Sariaty Zainal requested for appropriate punishment against the accused to serve as a deterrent to others.

Two men, Shamsuri Abd Karim, 40, a gravedigger, and Mohamad Afif Hussin, 26, a dispatch rider, pleaded not guilty to the same charges read out to them on Friday.

The court allowed both the accused bail at RM10,000 with one surety, and set Aug 10 for mention of the case.

Counsel Shalehhuddin Salam represented Shamsuri, while Norzaisyima and Mohamad Afif were not represented.

On the day of the incident, two men armed with machetes and wearing helmets entered the office through the back door which was unlocked, and brandished machetes towards a female public servant before seizing the cash at the counter of the Accounts and Revenue Unit at the JPJ office. - Bernama