Shahidan’s sexual assault case to be mentioned on March 18

KANGAR: The Sessions Court here fixed March 18 and 19 for mention of the case involving Arau MP Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (pic) who is charged with sexually assaulting an underage girl.

Judge Ainul Shahrin Mo­hamad set the date when the matter came up for case management yesterday.

Shahidan, a well-known and veteran perso­nality in Malaysian politics, was represented by lawyers Thalia Rohana Abdul Latiff, Zuhair Ahmad Zakwan and Syed Mohammad Anwar Syed Lokman while deputy public prosecutor Fuad Abdul Aziz appeared for the prosecution.

The former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department was charged with sexually assaulting the girl, then aged 15 years and seven months, by touching her arm in a vehicle at the compound of Tuanku Syed Putra Stadium here at 11.30pm on Oct 20 last year.

The charge, under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping, if found guilty. —Bernama