A pondok school headmaster has been charged in the Sessions Court here today with seven counts of sexual molestation of a male student and possession of obscene images in Kampung Kubang Batang, Tumpat, between June 2024 and the end of last month.
Muhammad Aswadi Yah, 46, pleaded not guilty and requested to be tried after the charges were read before Judge Zulkpli Abdullah.
For the first six charges, he is accused of sexually molesting a teenage boy, now 16 years old, at a house in Kampung Kubang Batang, Tumpat, between 7:00am and 7:30am, from June last year until August 20. He faces charges under Section 14(d) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and whipping.
The seventh charge alleges that he possessed obscene images on his mobile phone at the same location at 4:00pm on August 29, under Section 292 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum of three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The prosecution is handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Aiysha Na’ilah Harizan, while Muhammad Aswadi is represented by lawyer Mohd Irwan Sumadi.
Siti Aiysha requested bail of RM15,000 for each sexual molestation charge and RM5,000 for the obscene image charge. Mohd Irwan argued for minimal bail, citing his client’s health issues, low blood pressure, back pain, and responsibilities as a husband and father of four, emphasizing it was his client’s first offence.
The court granted a total bail of RM45,000 with one surety, ordering Muhammad Aswadi not to interfere with witnesses and to report monthly to the nearest police station. The case is scheduled for mention again on November 11.
