KUALA TERENGGANU: A former assistant bowling coach found guilty of sexually assaulting a Malaysia Games (Sukma) athlete has been ordered to serve his six-year jail sentence with immediate effect.
High Court judge Justice Datuk Hassan Abdul Ghani made the order after dismissing an appeal by Mat Salleh Jalani, 62, to set aside the conviction and sentence handed down by the Sessions Court on May 16 last year.
"The court dismisses his appeal and upholds the sentence imposed by the Sessions Court,” he said on Tuesday (April 22), directing Mat Salleh to begin serving his prison sentence immediately.
The Sessions Court had found Mat Salleh guilty of physical sexual assault on a teenage boy, aged 14 at the time of the offence, and sentenced him to six years' jail.
The offence was committed at a housing estate in Marang in March 2018.
The charge was framed under Section 14(d) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which provides for imprisonment not exceeding 20 years and caning upon conviction.
DPP Nur Nabihah Hanin Ayim appeared for the prosecution while Mat Salleh was represented by Wan Suhaili Wan Ismail, who said her client would file with the Court of Appeal against today's decision. – Bernama
