KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 — A foreign construction worker was sentenced to 18 months in prison and one stroke of the cane by the High Court here today for outraging the modesty of five women near LRT and MRT stations in the capital last month.

Justice Datuk Aslam Zainuddin imposed the sentence on Md Romjan Ali, a 41-year-old Bangladeshi national, after reviewing the May 6 decisions of four Magistrates’ Courts, which had sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment and RM14,500 fine.

“For all five cases, the court will impose a global sentence. The sentences imposed by the Magistrates’ Courts are set aside and replaced with 18 months’ imprisonment from the date of the accused’s arrest on April 27. For one of the cases, the accused is also ordered to be caned once,” the judge said.

On May 6, Md Romjan pleaded guilty to using criminal force with intent to outrage the modesty of a German woman and four local women aged between 21 and 28.

The offences were committed on footpaths at the Chan Sow Lin LRT Station, inside trains, on the Maluri MRT Station escalator, and inside a train from Taman Midah MRT Station to Muzium Negara MRT Station, between 7.00 am and 10.30 pm from April 10 to 25.

Under Section 354 of the Penal Code, the offence carries a maximum penalty of ten years’ imprisonment, a fine, caning, or any combination thereof.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Faridah Nurdinie Bahrum urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, stressing that it must signal to the public that the court treats outraging modesty with the utmost gravity.

“Committing such offences in public places is unacceptable. Hugging, touching and groping the victims are not normal conduct; no reasonable person would act this way.

“Notably, the accused committed these acts at different times and locations, even when LRT and MRT stations were crowded with commuters,” she said. She further requested an order to deport Md Romjan after he serves his sentence.

Md Romjan’s lawyer, Datuk Dr Mohd Radzuan Ibrahim, applied for a court order to repatriate his client to Bangladesh, stating that family members are willing to cover all arrangements.

“His brother, present in court today, confirms that he (the accused) is suffering emotional distress, and the family is in the process of sending him home for medical treatment. We respectfully request that the court exercise its power to repatriate him.

“As for the fine, we request that it be substituted with a concurrent custodial sentence, as the accused cannot pay. For the court’s information, his work permit is valid until February 2027,” he said. — Bernama