A retired teacher has claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to 17 charges of physically sexually assaulting seven female students, aged between 13 and 15, in 2024 and last year.
Zaidi Abbas, 56, pleaded not guilty to all charges before Judge Rafidah Che Aziz on Friday.
He was accused of committing the offences for sexual purposes while holding a position of trust as a teacher, with the alleged victims being his students.
The offences were allegedly committed between May 2024 and July 7, 2025, at a special room and the canteen of a secondary school in Langkap, as well as inside a vehicle in the surrounding area and during journeys back from Teluk Intan.
The charges were brought under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, read together with Section 16(1) of the same Act. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and whipping, in addition to a further prison term of up to five years and a minimum of two strokes of the cane.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Izzuddin Fakri Hamdan proposed bail of RM70,000 for all 17 charges, with additional conditions that Zaidi must not contact or interfere with the victims throughout the proceedings and must report to a nearby police station once a month.
However, defence lawyer Koh Shean Wai appealed for bail to be reduced to RM1,000 for each charge, saying his client was a person with disabilities (OKU) who had no previous criminal record.
The lawyer also told the court that Zaidi earned about RM4,000 a month and was responsible for supporting his wife, mother and four children who were still attending primary and secondary school. He added that his client was not a flight risk as he wanted to clear his name in court and was willing to comply with any additional conditions.
The court subsequently granted bail of RM40,000 for all charges, subject to the additional conditions requested by the prosecution. The case was fixed for mention again on December 14.
