A Myanmar hotel worker has claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to a charge of sexually assaulting a three-year-old Australian boy last week.
Aung Phyo Win, 30, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read to him in Bahasa Melayu before Sessions Court 1 judge Juraidah Abbas on Wednesday.
According to the charge, the married accused allegedly committed physical sexual assault against the child at Warung Penjaja Lorong Baharu here at about 9.10pm on Aug 20.
He was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and whipping upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Anuarul Hakim Abdul Muen handled the prosecution, while the accused was represented by lawyer K Mahendran.
The prosecution did not offer bail. However, Mahendran urged the court to exercise its discretion to grant bail, arguing that the accused had been living in Malaysia for four years and held permanent employment at a hotel.
He also told the court that his client’s passport had been surrendered to the police and argued that there was a low risk of the accused absconding.
The prosecution opposed the bail application, with Anuarul Hakim arguing that the surrender of the passport did not establish that the document was valid.
“Although the accused’s passport has been surrendered to the police, the court has yet to receive documents confirming its validity,” he said.
Juraidah subsequently ordered that no bail be granted and fixed Sept 28 for the case to be mentioned again.
