A 44-YEAR-OLD e-hailing driver was sentenced to 48 months in prison and four strokes of the cane by the Kota Kinabalu Magistrates' Court today after pleading guilty to outraging the modesty of his 19-year-old daughter.
The accused admitted guilt before Magistrate Marilyn Kelvin in Kota Kinabalu to a charge of using criminal force against his daughter with intent to outrage her modesty at approximately 1.00pm on April 27 in a rented room in Inanam.
He was charged under Section 354 of the Penal Code which carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years' imprisonment, a fine, whipping, or any combination of these punishments upon conviction.
Facts of the case presented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ronnie Anthony revealed that the victim lodged a police report on May 9 alleging sexual assault by her father.
Investigations established that the incident occurred in the rented room after the man summoned his daughter to approach him before using physical force.
The victim did not resist out of fear before leaving her father's rented residence on April 29 to seek protection.
Further enquiries revealed a similar incident had taken place in Kunak in 2025.
The victim's mother was aware of the prior occurrence but refrained from filing a police report after being persuaded by the accused, who used religious arguments to convince her to remain silent.
The man was arrested on April 30. Although there were no eyewitnesses to the incident, statements provided by the victim enabled police to proceed with investigation and prosecution.
The accused, who was unrepresented by legal counsel, was ordered to serve his prison sentence from the date of his arrest. - October 6, 2026
