Kota Kinabalu: A 44-year-old e-hailing driver was sentenced to 48 months’ jail and ordered to be caned four strokes by the Magistrate’s Court here for molesting his 19-year-old daughter.
The man pleaded guilty before Magistrate Marilyn Kelvin to using criminal force against his daughter with intent to outrage her modesty at 1pm on April 27, this year, at a rented room in Inanam.
The offence under Section 354 of the Penal Code, provides for up to 10 years’ jail, a fine, whipping, or any two of the punishments, on conviction.
The facts of the case presented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ronnie Anthony, stated that the victim lodged a police report on May 9, alleging that her father had sexually assaulted her.
Investigations found that the incident occurred at the rented room after the man called his daughter to come closer to him before using force against her.
The victim remained silent because she was afraid to resist and later left her father’s rented room on April 29, to seek protection.
The investigation also revealed that a similar incident had occurred in Kunak in 2025 and that the victim’s mother knew about it but did not report it after being persuaded by the man.
The victim said her father had used religion as an excuse to persuade her mother to remain silent.
The man was arrested on April 30.
Although there were no eyewitnesses, the victim’s account led to the police investigation and the man’s arrest.
The unrepresented man was ordered to serve the sentence from the date of his arrest.
In another case, a 44-year-old man was charged with criminal breach of trust involving RM561,500 belonging to another man.
Tang Chung Jeng pleaded not guilty to dishonestly using RM561,500 belonging to Kelvin Kiu for the purchase of a house between March 6 and May 22, 2023, at AmBank, Jalan Sagunting branch, here, an offence under Section 403 of the Penal Code.
The court fixed Oct 22 for pre-trial case management and released the accused on RM7,000 bail in one surety.
