In a Kuala Lumpur courtroom on Thursday, a 50-year-old lorry driver named P Sangara Lingam stood to deny that he and an unidentified accomplice robbed a Pakistani clinic worker at bladepoint in Bangsar earlier this month. The charge, rooted in statutes that carry up to two decades of imprisonment, places an ordinary working man at the intersection of serious criminal allegation and the quiet weight of family obligation. As the law moves at its measured pace toward an April hearing, one accused man is free on bail, one alleged partner remains unfound, and a clinic worker carries the memory of a
Lorry driver denies armed robbery of clinic worker in Bangsar
One clinic worker was robbed at knifepoint and had personal property stolen during the alleged armed robbery.
Bail is intended to ensure attendance, not punishment
Mark
Why does a ring matter enough to bring armed robbery charges?
Mimi
It's not really about the value of the object. The law treats it as armed robbery because a weapon was used—the parang—and because it was done by more than one person. That combination elevates it from theft to a serious felony.
Mark
The accomplice is still missing. How does that affect the case against Lingam?
Mimi
It complicates things. The prosecution has to prove Lingam's role in a joint crime, but they can't put the other person on trial. It means the evidence against him has to be solid enough to stand alone.
Mark
The defense mentioned his health and family. Do those things actually matter in court?
Mimi
They matter for bail decisions, which is what happened here. The judge reduced the bail amount based on those factors. But at trial, they won't excuse the alleged crime itself—they're just reasons to trust he'll show up for court.
Mark
What happens if he can't make the RM7,000?
Mimi
Then he stays in custody until trial. That's the whole point of bail—it's a financial guarantee of his appearance. If he can't pay, he doesn't get released.
Mark
How long until this actually goes to trial?
Mimi
No one knows yet. The next mention is April 17. That's just a check-in. Real trials in Malaysia can take months or years to begin, depending on the court's schedule and how the evidence develops.
Le Pouls
- A clinic worker in Bangsar was confronted by two men wielding a parang on the afternoon of March 4 — a moment of sudden violence that stripped him of property and safety.
- One of the two alleged perpetrators has yet to be located, leaving the case with an unresolved shadow that complicates the prosecution's full picture.
- The accused faces charges under provisions of the Penal Code that, if proven, could result in 20 years imprisonment and caning — stakes that loom large over every procedural step.
- Defense counsel argued for leniency in bail, painting a portrait of a man with sick dependents, health troubles of his own, and a record of cooperation with investigators.
- The judge split the difference — granting bail at RM7,000 rather than the RM10,000 sought by prosecutors, while accepting conditions of monthly police reporting and no witness contact.
- The case now waits until April 17 to find its next direction, suspended between a plea of innocence and the machinery of justice still gathering its pieces.
In a Kuala Lumpur courtroom on Thursday, a 50-year-old lorry driver named P Sangara Lingam stood to deny that he and an unidentified accomplice robbed a Pakistani clinic worker at bladepoint in Bangsar earlier this month. The charge, rooted in statutes that carry up to two decades of imprisonment, places an ordinary working man at the intersection of serious criminal allegation and the quiet weight of family obligation. As the law moves at its measured pace toward an April hearing, one accused man is free on bail, one alleged partner remains unfound, and a clinic worker carries the memory of a ring taken by force.
On Thursday morning, P Sangara Lingam, a 50-year-old lorry driver, appeared before the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur and entered a not guilty plea to a charge of armed gang robbery. The accusation places him at a Bangsar clinic on the afternoon of March 4, where he and a second man — still at large — allegedly confronted a Pakistani worker named Sajid Ahmed Abbasi, brandished a parang, and took his ring.
The charge is a serious one. Brought under Section 395 of the Penal Code in conjunction with Section 397, it carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and leaves open the possibility of caning upon conviction. The prosecution sought bail of RM10,000 with conditions requiring monthly police reporting and no contact with witnesses.
Lingam's defense counsel, Tripatjit Singh, urged the court toward restraint. He described a man with two young children, an ailing elderly mother, and his own intestinal health problems — someone who had cooperated with investigators without resistance. Bail, Singh reminded the court, is meant to secure a defendant's attendance, not to punish before any verdict is reached.
Judge Suhaila Haron set bail at RM7,000 with one surety, accepting the prosecution's conditions on reporting and witness contact. The case returns to court on April 17. Lingam's unnamed co-accused remains unaccounted for, leaving one thread of the alleged crime still loose.
A 50-year-old lorry driver stood before the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday and rejected the allegation that he held up a clinic worker at knifepoint and stole his ring. P Sangara Lingam entered a not guilty plea to the charge of armed gang robbery, though the court record shows he faces the accusation alongside another man who has not been found.
The alleged incident took place on the afternoon of March 4 at a clinic in Bangsar. The victim, Sajid Ahmed Abbasi, a 35-year-old Pakistani worker, was confronted by two men. According to the charge, they brandished a parang—a large curved blade—and took his ring. The crime falls under Section 395 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 397, statutes that carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and may include caning if a conviction follows.
The prosecution did not oppose bail outright but sought conditions. Deputy public prosecutor Nor Aisyah Mohamed Zanyuin asked the court to set bail at RM10,000 with one surety, and to require the accused to report monthly to the nearest police station and avoid any contact with witnesses in the case until the proceedings conclude.
Lingam's defense counsel, Tripatjit Singh, made a different case. He asked the judge for the minimum bail possible, pointing to his client's circumstances: two school-age children at home and an elderly mother in poor health. Singh also noted that Lingam suffers from intestinal problems and has cooperated fully with investigators throughout their work. He reminded the court that bail exists to ensure a defendant appears for trial, not to serve as punishment. "I therefore request the court to grant the lowest possible bail," he told Judge Suhaila Haron.
The judge granted bail at RM7,000 with one surety, accepting the prosecution's additional conditions about monthly reporting and witness non-contact. The next hearing is set for April 17, when the case will move forward in the court system. Lingam's co-accused remains at large.
Citations marquantes
The accused also suffers from intestinal issues and has fully cooperated throughout the investigation. Bail is intended to ensure the accused's attendance in court, not as a form of punishment.— Tripatjit Singh, defense counsel
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Crime & Justice