JOHOR BARU: A three-day prayer event at a temple here turned into a nightmare for a 21-year-old woman when she caught a fellow devotee secretly filming her while she was showering.
It was learnt that both of them were temple members, part of a large group that had stayed overnight at the house of worship in Taman Desa Tebrau for the Hungry Ghost Month recently.
On one of the nights, the victim – a Thai national – was taking a shower when she allegedly felt a presence and looked up to find a hand holding a mobile phone above the bathroom stall door.
The victim, believed to be the girlfriend of one of the mediums who conducted the prayers, screamed and the suspect fled the scene.
The temple committee then identified the 22-year-old suspect after reviewing the CCTV footage and called him to the temple the next day.
The suspect, who works as a promoter, was said to have apologised to the victim and deleted the indecent videos from his mobile phone.
Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat confirmed the case and said the woman had lodged a report on Aug 31.
“The suspect was arrested two days later and remanded for four days for investigation under Section 377D of the Penal Code for grossly indecent behaviour.”
He said police are awaiting instruction from the deputy public prosecutor regarding the potential charges, following the acquisition of a forensics report.
If convicted, the offence carries a sentence of up to two years’ imprisonment.
ACP Raub said on Sept 24 that the suspect filed a police report alleging that he was subsequently threatened by the temple committee. They demanded that he pay the victim RM20,000 in compensation for the incident.
“The suspect claimed that he agreed to the demand, which included a 1.5% monthly interest, as he felt intimidated by the group.
“We have classified his report as ‘no further action’ because the investigation revealed no evidence of blackmail or any criminal elements between the two parties,” he added.
“I advise the public against taking matters into their own hands in the event of such incidents – leave it to the authorities and refrain from making any side deals,” he said.
