ISLAMIC Education teacher Farid Azhar Nawi, 47, from a secondary school in Senawang, was today sentenced to a total of seven years' imprisonment and two strokes of the cane for physically sexually assaulting a female pupil, then aged 13, in the school's surau (prayer room) three years prior.
Seremabam Court Judge Datin Surita Budin delivered the sentence after concluding that the defence had failed to raise any reasonable doubt against the prosecution's case.
Delivering her decision at the close of the defence, the judge stated that the accused's testimony was "a mere denial that failed to raise doubt against the prosecution's case."
The court noted that the victim's testimony was "consistent and not purely fabricated, and was supported by two eyewitnesses who also saw the incident."
The judge dismissed the accused's claim of a conspiracy, stating, "The accused's claim that there was a pact or attempt by the school to frame him was an assumption that could not be proven."
Datin Surita Budin further found the child witness to be honest and lacking malicious intent. She sternly remarked that as an educator entrusted to guide children, the accused had "misused his position, causing the victim trauma and tarnishing the reputation of religious teachers, thereby damaging the school's image."
"The accused should have protected and provided good instruction to the pupil, not taken advantage of the victim who was only 13 years old at the time of the incident," she asserted, emphasising that the court "cannot be lenient in cases involving sexual assault against children, which is a serious offence."
In addition to the custodial sentence, the judge ordered the accused to undergo rehabilitation counselling throughout his imprisonment and be subjected to police supervision for one year following his release.
The charge specifies that the accused committed physical sexual assault by sexually touching the waist of a 13-year-old girl at the time of the incident, exploiting his position of trust as a teacher.
The offence occurred on 4 August 2022, around 5:30 PM, at the surau*of a secondary school in Senawang.
This contravenes Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, read together with Section 16(c) of the same Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment and caning, in addition to five years' imprisonment and two strokes of the cane.
Defence counsel Nor Azleen Khairina A Aziz informed the court of her client's intention to appeal against the conviction and the severity of the sentence, arguing that a heavy sentence risks injustice.
She pleaded for a lighter and more reasonable sentence, highlighting that the accused is a first-time offender with no prior record, has two wives and five children, three of whom are university students, and has shown deep remorse and acknowledged his weakness.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Norazihah Asmuni requested a commensurate sentence, citing the seriousness of sexual crimes involving children, and urged the court to uphold the principle of public interest over personal interest.
The defence then sought a stay of execution pending the appeal to the High Court. While the prosecution objected, the court granted the stay, considering the accused is a civil servant.
However, the judge increased the bail to RM20,000 with additional conditions that the accused must report to the nearest police station once a month and surrender his passport. - November 17, 2025
