Police await return of sports coach accused of sexual harassment

POLICE have confirmed that they will record a statement from a sports coach accused of sexually harassing a teenage girl once he returns to Malaysia from abroad

Kota Setar district police chief Assistant Commissioner Syed Basri Syed Ali said the move follows a police report lodged by the victim’s father last Saturday.

He said the case is being investigated under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.

“We will record the statement from the coach involved as soon as he returns to the country,” he told reporters in Alor Setar today.

The coach is believed to be overseas attending a sports tournament.

Meanwhile, the victim’s father, who declined to be named, said he lodged the police report after learning that his daughter had allegedly been subjected to sexual harassment by the coach over several months.

The man, in his mid-40s, said his 15-year-old daughter had undergone a noticeable change in behaviour following the incidents and had refused to continue participating in the sport she had been involved in for the past three years.

He said he and his wife were initially puzzled by the sudden change, especially as their daughter had previously excelled in the sport, winning numerous medals and awards in competitions.

“Only over time did we learn that she had been sexually harassed by the coach during training sessions when she was asked to massage his body,” he said.

“For several months, my daughter did not dare to tell us the truth. Eventually, she informed us of what had happened and we immediately lodged a police report on December 20,” he added.

The father said that in addition to the police report, complaints had also been lodged with other relevant departments and the sports organisation involved, noting that the coach trained many other children.

“I would like to stress that this case does not involve rape or sexual assault, but inappropriate physical contact that made my daughter uncomfortable,” he said.

“The determination of whether the allegations are true or false will be made by the police through their investigation and the appropriate legal action,” he added. - December 24, 2025