Teaching assistants in Malaysia demand trial for child sexual abuse

SEREMBAN – Three teaching assistants and caretakers of a madrasa in Kuala Pilah in the Malaysian state of Negri Sembilan filed a lawsuit in court on September 19. They are accused of 14 counts of sexual abuse of five children aged between nine and eleven.

Muhammad Habib Noh Mohd Zairi (21), Muhammad Khunais Fathie Khabil (20) and Ahmad Nadzful Izham Azizan (22) pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to them before Judge Datin Surita Budin.

Muhammad Habib Noh faces four charges under section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, Muhammad Khunais faces six charges and Ahmad Nadzful faces three charges.

Muhammad Habib was also charged under Section 14(b) of the same Act.

Both provisions provide for a prison sentence of up to 20 years and flogging in case of conviction.

The crimes are said to have been committed in the madrasa between 2022 and 2023.

Deputy Prosecutor Nurul Balkis Zunaidi stated that the prosecution was not offering the accused bail.

She added that if released on bail, an amount of RM30,000 (S$9,140) would be proposed for each charge.

Ms Nurul Balkis, supported by Ms Noraziha Asmuni, also demanded that if released on bail, the defendants should not contact the victims or witnesses, should report to the nearest police station and should hand over their passports to the court.

The defendant's parents and guardians requested a lower bail amount because they could not afford the amount proposed by the prosecution.

Judge Surita informed the accused that in view of the nature of the offence for which bail was not possible, low bail could not be granted.

She then set bail for each offence at 12,000 RM with a surety and accepted the further conditions demanded by the public prosecutor.

The suspects were taken to the court complex in a police van at around 9:10 am and arrested during the recent Op Global.

On September 11, the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department raided 20 charitable homes in Selangor and Negri Sembilan linked to Global Ikhwan Services and Business (GISB) Holdings and rescued 402 children and teenagers, including 201 boys and 201 girls aged between one and 17. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK