By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Sept 24: A 27-year-old unemployed man was today fined RM5,000 by the Magistrates’ Court here for molesting a young woman and hurling obscene remarks at her while passing on his motorcycle last week.
Magistrate Mason Jaro Lenya Barayan warned the accused that he would have to serve 10 months in jail if he failed to pay the fine.
He pleaded guilty under Section 354 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine, whipping, or any combination thereof.
According to the charge, the man assaulted a 20-year-old woman around 3.40am on Sept 18, 2025, near a hospital on Jalan Tun Abdul Rahman Yaakub, Petra Jaya.
Case facts revealed that the victim, on her way to work at a café, was accosted as the accused overtook her on his motorcycle.
He groped her buttocks and uttered a lewd remark, prompting the woman to scream. Startled, the man then fled the scene.
The victim managed to note down the motorcycle’s registration plate and lodged a police report shortly afterward. Police arrested him the following day.
Investigations confirmed that the victim positively identified the accused in a police lineup and that the motorcycle seized by authorities matched the one used in the assault.
Further checks revealed that the accused had prior criminal records, including drug-related offences. He appeared in court without legal representation. — DayakDaily
