Berita Harian reported that all three accused pleaded not guilty as soon as the charges were read to them in Mandarin before magistrate A Shaarmini.

According to the charges, Jonathan Yet, 18, along with two friends aged 15 and 17, jointly kidnapped a seven-year-old child at Serampang Road at around 5.15pm on Dec 12.

The charges were made under Section 363 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same law, which carries a maximum penalty of up to seven years in prison and a fine.

Deputy public prosecutor Shamira Luthfi Ismail prosecuted while the three accused were not represented.

The prosecution proposed bail of RM8,000 for each accused, but all three appealed for a reduced bail amount.

The court then set bail at RM2,500 for each accused with one surety, with the surety for the two underage boys being their parents.

The court also scheduled Jan 23 as the next hearing date for the submission of social and moral reports from the welfare department.