Another religious leader now accused of sodomy in Malaysia - Singapore News

MALAYSIA: Another religious teacher and another case of sexual abuse of students under their care. This week, a religious teacher in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court to four charges of committing physical sexual assault against two boys and producing obscene images.

The culprit, 31, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges after they were read before Magistrate Syed Farid Syed Ali.

This case comes to light after another case this month in which 3 students taking religious Islamic classes were abused by the teacher, a religious scholar.

In the second case, once again in Pasir Mas, a religious teacher cried before the judge and pleaded for his sentence to be lightened for the offence of committing physical sexual assault against three male students, over a period of three years starting in 2023.

The accused, 64, was sentenced to nine years in prison and three strokes of the cane by Judge Zulkpli Abdullah after pleading guilty to all nine charges involving three male victims aged 9, 10 and 11.

There has been a concerning surge in such high-profile sexual misconduct cases and charges involving teachers and students across Malaysia.

Recent months have seen arrests and court trials in states including Johor, Selangor, Terengganu, and Negeri Sembilan, prompting national debates over child safeguarding protocols.

Recent cases involved a 28-year-old primary school teacher who was detained and remanded following police reports of alleged sexual abuse involving a 12-year-old pupil.

Another case this month was in Seremban, and it saw a 42-year-old female teacher charged in the Sessions Court with five counts of sexual assault and inappropriate online communication with her 14-year-old male student.

The list of such abuses goes on and on with more and more graphic details revealed.

In the first Pasir Mas case, the teacher was accused of committing physical sexual assault against an eight‑year‑old boy at a madrasah (religious school) in Jeli between 1:10 pm and 5 pm on May 9, 2026.

He was accused of committing physical sexual assault against a six‑year‑old boy and producing pornographic images of the child at a house in Jeli in May 2025.

The first, second and third charges were brought under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 and punishable under Section 14 of the same Act, which provides for a maximum imprisonment of 20 years and may also include caning.

The fourth charge was under Section 5 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which provides for a maximum imprisonment of 30 years and a minimum of six strokes of the cane.

In the case of the 64-year-old man, he asked for his sentence to be reduced on the grounds of old age and being the sole breadwinner of the family.

“Assalamualaikum, sir. Uncle asks you to lighten the sentence as much as possible, considering Uncle is already old.

“Uncle has four children aged between 25 and 30 to 25 years, one disabled child aged 27, and the uncle alone works as the backbone of the family.

“Uncle regrets this despicable act, uncle pleads for the lightest sentence,” he begged.

According to the first to fourth charges, the accused was charged with committing physical sexual assault against a boy starting when the victim was nine years and four months old on May 2023, March 16, 2024, January 26 and October 11 last year.

For the fifth to seventh charges, the accused was charged with committing the same offence against a different boy, starting when the victim was nine years and eleven months old on September 25, October 2 and October 24 last year.

For the eighth and ninth charges, the accused was charged with committing the same offence against another boy aged 11 years and two months on November 23 and December 7 last year.

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