Kota Kinabalu: An 81-year-old temple priest was jailed four years by the Magistrate’s Court here today for molesting a woman two years ago.
Magistrate Wan Farrah Farriza Wan Ghazali imposed the sentence on Lim Ah Kau @ Lim Ho Cheng after finding him guilty following a full trial.
Lim was convicted of using criminal force against the 31-year-old woman with intent to outrage her modesty at a temple here at 10am on Feb 29, 2024.
He was charged under Section 354 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum 10-year jail term, or a fine, or whipping, or any two of the punishments upon conviction.
The prosecution called six witnesses while the defence called two witnesses during the trial.
The court ordered Lim to serve the sentence from the date of his conviction.
However, he obtained a stay of execution pending his appeal to the High Court. His bail was increased from RM2,000 to RM7,000, with other conditions remaining unchanged.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Arfa Anchal Khan Muhammad Munir Khan, in seeking a deterrent sentence, said the offence was serious as Lim was a temple priest and a figure trusted and respected by the community.
She said the complainant had sought spiritual treatment from Lim, but he had abused that trust to commit the offence.
She added that those entrusted with providing spiritual guidance should protect the dignity of people seeking help rather than exploit their trust, and that such abuse warranted a deterrent custodial sentence.
In a separate case, a 30-year-old man was charged with making an illegal betting transaction.
Kenny Vun Chen Fah pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Marilyn Kelvin to committing the offence at a grocery shop in Inanam on June 20.
He was charged under Section 6(1) of the Betting Act 1953, which carries a fine of up to RM5,000, or up to six months’ imprisonment, or both upon conviction.
The court fixed Sept 4 for pre-trial case management and released Vun on RM1,200 bail in two sureties.
Inspector Yusdi Basri prosecuted.
