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A 38-YEAR-old warden of a Quranic learning centre in Jempol was sentenced to six years in prison and two strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court here on Thursday after pleading guilty to three charges of sodomising and physically assaulting male students under his care.
The accused, Mohd Khairi Fitri Baharom, broke down in tears as he admitted to the charges before Judge Datin Surita Budin, who ordered the custodial sentence to run from the date of his arrest on 25 May 2025.
The court also directed that he undergoes counselling and be placed under police supervision for a year following his release.
According to the three charges read separately in court, Khairi Fitri admitted to committing physical sexual assault and sodomy on two boys aged 12 years and four months, and 13 years and four months respectively, as well as a third boy aged 10 years and seven months.
The offences took place at the warden’s quarters of the Quranic centre in Jempol between 15 December 2023 and 7 January 2025.
The charges were framed under Section 377C of the Penal Code, and Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, read together with Section 16(1) of the same Act.
Unrepresented by legal counsel, the accused pleaded for leniency, citing his responsibility to care for his elderly parents and the fact that he remains unmarried.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Norazihah Asmuni urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, stressing that the nature of the offences involved children and constituted an egregious breach of trust.
“In this case, the accused is a teacher and warden entrusted with the safety and care of these children. He grossly abused his authority by committing sexual offences,” she said.
“The court must consider public interest over the personal circumstances of the accused. His guilty plea alone should not mitigate the sentence in a case involving vulnerable child victims,” Norazihah added, also requesting that the court impose mandatory counselling and police supervision.
The accused also pleaded not guilty to 12 additional charges — six for sexual assault and six for sodomy — involving five other boys aged between eight and 12 years and nine months, including one of the original victims.
These additional offences allegedly occurred between March 2024 and January 2025, both at the Quranic school and at a house in Kampung Rembang Panas, Kuala Pilah.
The charges fall under Sections 14(a) and 14(b) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792) and Section 377C of the Penal Code.
Given the nature of the charges and the prior guilty pleas, the prosecution did not offer bail for the remaining 12 charges.
The court set 14 July for mention of the outstanding charges. - June 12, 2025