KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — Parti Amanah Negara’s Permatang Pasir state assemblyman Muhammad Faiz Fadzil was charged today with the offence of alleged sexual assault against a woman, a report has said.
News portal Malaysiakini reported that the politician pleaded not guilty when the charge was read out at the Magistrates’ Court in Shah Alam, Selangor, and that he had claimed trial to the charge under the Penal Code’s Section 354.
This means that he would be facing trial.
Section 354 is the offence of assault or use of criminal force to a person with intent to outrage the person’s modesty, and is punishable by up to 10 years’ jail or fine or whipping or any two of such punishments.
Malaysiakini reported that the charge against him was in relation to his alleged use of criminal force with intentions to outrage the modesty of a woman aged 31 on March 8 between 9.45pm and 11.30pm, while both of them were in a car moving from Sunway Pyramid shopping mall to Subang Jaya in Selangor.
Malaysiakini said the Attorney General’s Chambers’ sexual crime unit’s deputy public prosecutor Zahida Zakaria had confirmed the charge against Faiz, while also confirming that he was released on a RM10,000 bail under the condition of not disturbing the witnesses for the prosecution.
Malaysiakini said deputy public prosecutor Nur Aishah Ahmad Zakiuddin also appeared for the prosecution, and that Faiz’s lawyers at the court proceedings today were Abdul Aziz Hamzah, Surya Putra Mohamed Taulan, Hairulallias Shaari, and Ahmad Faiq Azizan.
The criminal case is before magistrate Mohamad Redza Azhar Rezali, with August 6 scheduled for mention of the case.
Previously in March, Faiz was reported to have denied the molestation claim and had also confirmed giving his statement to the police after being called on March 18 to help with the investigation.
