A 48-year-old religious teacher in Ipoh, Perak, was charged with three counts of physical sexual assault involving a 16-year-old male student two years ago.
Haslina Abu Bakar pleaded not guilty to all three charges when they were read before Sessions Court Judge Ainul Sharin Mohamad yesterday (28 September).
Malaysian ustazah pleads not guilty to sexually assaulting Form 4 student
According to Harian Metro, all three alleged offences took place in an Islamic Education classroom at a national secondary school in Kinta.
Haslina was accused of kissing the 16-year-old boy on the mouth for sexual purposes in November 2024, before allegedly hugging him a month later.
For the third charge, she was accused of making the victim touch her chest for sexual purposes in November that same year.
The charges were brought under Sections 14(a) and 14(b) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and whipping upon conviction.
Accused seeks lower bail
Meanwhile, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nor Arfahanim Azureen Arfanuddin did not offer bail, citing the non-bailable nature of the offences and the seriousness of the case, given that Haslina was the victim’s teacher. She also pointed out that the student is no longer attending the same school as the accused.
Defence lawyer Amira Sofea An-Nur Ahmad, however, asked for bail to be set at a minimum amount, noting that Haslina is the main breadwinner for her family and has six children aged between eight and 22 who are still studying or pursuing higher education.
She also told the court that Haslina has high cholesterol and migraines, while her husband has health issues. The lawyer added that Haslina is now teaching at another school far from the victim, has a good service record, is a permanent teacher, and has no previous offences.
The court later granted Haslina bail of RM10,000 with one surety and set 28 October for the next mention of the case and submission of documents.
