A 46-year-old Kelas Al-Quran dan Fardu Ain (KAFA) teacher was sentenced to eight years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane after being convicted on four counts of physical sexual assault against two young female pupils at a primary school here.
Sessions Court Judge Mohd Zul Zakiqudin Zulkifli handed down the sentence on Tuesday after finding Mohd Muslim Mohd Suhimin guilty beyond reasonable doubt on all charges.
In the first case, Mohd Muslim was convicted of molesting a 10-year-old girl by grabbing her breasts inside a classroom around 3pm on 15 November 2023.
He was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and one stroke of the cane for the offence. The court also imposed an additional one-year jail term and two strokes under Section 16(1) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, to run consecutively. He will also be placed under police supervision for two years after his release.
For the three other charges involving a second victim, aged between eight and nine at the time, Mohd Muslim was found guilty of:
- Grabbing the girl’s breasts
- Rubbing her breasts
- Grabbing her private parts
The incidents occurred at the same school between July 2022 and May 2023.
He received jail terms of seven years, five years, and five years respectively, each with one stroke of the cane, plus an additional one-year sentence and six strokes under the same Act.
However, the court ordered all prison terms to run concurrently, resulting in a total effective sentence of eight years’ imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Asymawi Ghazali described the case as a serious breach of trust.
“Not only was the victim’s dignity violated, but the trust of the parents and the responsibility entrusted by a noble institution such as the school — particularly the KAFA class for religious education — was also betrayed by the accused,” he said.
The prosecution was led by Nur Nabihah Hanim Ayim and Muhammad Asymawi Ghazali, while Mohd Muslim was represented by lawyer Nik Mohd Radhia Abd Ghani.
All charges were framed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, read together with Section 16(1) of the same Act.
