A 71-YEAR-OLD man was charged at the Sessions Court in George Town today with two counts of rape and committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature involving an 18-year-old girl at a local shopping complex last week.
The accused, Chuah Cheng Seng, a diabetic patient who is currently unemployed, pleaded not guilty after both charges were read to him in the Hokkien dialect before Judge Juraidah Abbas.
Under the first charge, the accused is alleged to have raped the 18-year-old victim inside a male toilet on the second floor of a shopping mall at Persiaran Gurney at approximately 4.30pm on October 1. He was charged under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum prison sentence of up to 20 years and liability to whipping upon conviction.
For the second charge, Chuah was accused of intentionally committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature against the same victim at the same time and location.
He was charged under Section 377C of the Penal Code, wherein the offence provides for a mandatory imprisonment term of between five and 20 years, as well as liability to whipping upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Anuarul Hakim Abdul Muen appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was represented by defence counsel K. Mahendran.
During proceedings, the prosecution proposed bail set at RM10,000 for each charge, along with additional conditions requiring the accused to report monthly to a nearby police station, surrender his passport to the court, and refrain from harassing prosecution witnesses or the victim.
Defence counsel Mahendran pleaded for a lower bail amount, citing his client's advanced age, health condition, and lack of employment, noting that Chuah is financially dependent on his child, a salesperson earning approximately RM2,000 monthly.
Judge Juraidah granted bail total at RM14,000 for both charges with one local surety, while imposing all additional conditions requested by the prosecution. The court fixed November 16 for case mention and document submission.
The accused had previously been remanded for seven days commencing last Friday to assist investigations into the alleged sexual assault, which involved the 18-year-old daughter of his employer. - October 6, 2026
