KOTA KINABALU: A former Malaysian master chef finalist, who was charged with her husband for the murder of their maid, has been released on bail granted on special circumstances by the Court of Appeal.

       The Court of Appeal panel consisting of Justices Lee Swee Seng, Supang Lian and M. Gunalan unanimously allowed for Etiqa Noorashikeen Mohd Sulong to post RM30,000 bail with one local surety.

       She is to surrender her passport and her travel documents to the Kota Kinabalu Magistrate’s Court.

       They ordered Etiqa, an engineer with an oil company, to also report to the Penampang district police headquarters at noon every Monday.

       The Court of Appeal sitting held via Zoom from Putrajaya agreed to grant bail after hearing submissions from Etiqa’s lawyer Datuk Seri K. Rakhbir Singh and from senior deputy public prosecutor Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar.

       Rakhbir said he had appealed for the bail on grounds that Etiqa suffers from a psychiatric illness as well as anxiety attacks.

       He also submitted that Etiqa’s children both suffer from illnesses and her parents are too sickly to care for them.

       Rakhbir said the Bench found merits in his application for special circumstances to grant the bail.

       On Dec 29, Etiqa and her husband, a former airline officer turned contractor Mohammad Ambree Yunos @ Unos, 40, were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

       They were jointly charged with the death of their maid who was found dead in their apartment at Amber Towers Lido avenue in Penampang between Dec 10 and Dec 13.

       Rakhbir had initially applied for bail at the Magistrate’s Court and then again at the High Court but bail was rejected both times.

       The charge of murder is a non-bailable offence but Malaysian courts under special circumstances have granted bail to some of the accused persons.

       Etiqa was seen in tears outside the courtroom and thanked the court for granting her bail.