A SERIES of high-profile cases, including allegations of sexual offences involving a singer and a social media influencer, as well as a long-running custodial death dispute, are set to take centre stage in courts across Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya this week.
Proceedings begin with a case management hearing at the Federal Court in Putrajaya involving the Malaysian government and the Royal Malaysia Police over the death of a detainee in police custody in 2019.
The plaintiffs are seeking leave to appeal a Court of Appeal ruling that held both parties vicariously liable for the death of Mohd Fadzrin Zaidi on 26 January, reported Berita Harian.
The deceased had been detained during a drug-related raid on 20 November 2019 and later died while under remand at the Seberang Perai Utara district police headquarters in Kepala Batas, Penang.
Earlier rulings found that the police had been negligent in failing to prevent the 29-year-old from taking his own life while in custody, with the government held responsible for that negligence.
The High Court initially awarded RM147,600 in damages and RM50,000 in legal costs to the victim’s mother, Fadhelah Othman.
However, the Court of Appeal upheld liability but reduced damages to RM97,600, maintaining compensation for loss of dependency, pain and suffering, and special damages, while setting aside an earlier award for aggravated damages.
The government and police have raised two legal questions in their application now before the Federal Court.
Attention will then turn to the Sessions Court in Putrajaya, where a three-day trial involving singer Naim Daniel is scheduled to begin.
Naim Daniel, whose full name is Muhammad Naim Daniel Baharin, pleaded not guilty on 17 June to a charge of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl at a hotel in Petaling Jaya.
He is accused of committing physical sexual assault for sexual purposes at approximately 8.56 pm on 19 May.
The case arose after police received a report from the teenager’s mother on 3 June, alleging that her daughter had been harassed after meeting the singer at a café where she worked.
Later in the week, the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur will hear the mention of a case involving social media influencer Muhammad Iman Hazriq Azizan, aged 23.
He faces charges in two separate courts, including allegations of raping a 15-year-old girl and committing physical sexual assault against another 15-year-old.
The offences are alleged to have taken place in a condominium unit in Wangsa Maju between 1pm and 8pm on 22 January.
The convergence of these cases highlights ongoing legal scrutiny of sexual offences and custodial accountability, with proceedings expected to draw significant public and legal attention throughout the week. - March 30, 2026
