A Malaysian TikToker, known as “Abang Bas,” recently went viral and made headlines for posting videos of kids on TikTok with inappropriate captions. The content sparked widespread discussion among Malaysians, eventually leading to his arrest just 4 days ago.
Following his arrest, Utusan Malaysia reported that the 24-year-old defendant, who was seen crying in court, pleaded not guilty as the 2 charges were read out by the interpreter in front of Judge Sayani Mohd Nor.
He was accused of committing physical sexual abuse on his niece
For the first charge, the defendant was accused of committing physical sexual abuse by kissing his 4-year-old niece on the cheek for sexual reasons on a school bus in Simpang Renggam, Kluang, from April to September this year.
He was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which could land him up to 20 years in prison and whipping if found guilty.
He was also accused of observing a 9-year-old for sexual purposes
For the second charge, he was accused of repeatedly observing a 9-year-old girl for sexual purposes on the same school bus at the same location this month.
For this offence, he was charged under Section 15(a)(iii) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carries a penalty under Section 15 of the same act, with a sentence of up to 10 years in prison or a fine not exceeding RM20,000 or both, if convicted.
State Prosecutor Abdul Ghafar Ab. Latif suggested a bail of RM50,000 for each charge due to the seriousness of the case, which had garnered public attention and numerous comments calling for strict action by the authorities.
The judge has allowed bail at RM30,000
However, since one of the victims is his niece, the prosecution also requested additional conditions, including that the accused should not contact the victim, her sister, or her mother, who are also prosecution witnesses.
Defence lawyer Umar Zulkarnain appealed for a lower bail, stating that the accused had no fixed income and worked only as a school bus driver.
Judge Sayani allowed bail at RM30,000 for both charges and set October 10 as the date for case mention and document submission.
For illustration purposes only
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Also read: Viral Video of Man Feeding Niece With His Mouth Resurfaces, M’sians Outraged by Supportive Comments
