Court upholds ex-bowling coach’s jail term for sexual assault

 A three-member Court of Appeal bench says the victim had no reason to fabricate his allegation against Mat Salleh Jalani.

The Court of Appeal also ordered Mat Salleh Jalani to undergo police supervision for two years after completing his prison sentence. (Bernama pic)

PUTRAJAYA:

 The Court of Appeal today upheld the six-year prison sentence imposed on a former bowling coach convicted of sexually assaulting a former Malaysia Games (Sukma) athlete eight years ago.

A three-member bench comprising Justices Azman Abdullah, Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz and Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid dismissed Mat Salleh Jalani’s appeal against his conviction and sentence.

Delivering the unanimous decision, Azman said the victim had no reason to fabricate evidence about the appellant’s actions.

He said the six-year imprisonment and two-year police supervision imposed by the sessions court should stand as a reminder to the public against taking advantage of minors.

On May 16, 2024, the sessions court in Kuala Terengganu sentenced Mat Salleh, 62, to six years in prison after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting the teenager, who was 14 years old at the time, at a residential area in Marang, Terengganu, in March 2018.

The court also ordered Mat Salleh to undergo police supervision for two years after completing his prison sentence.

On April 22 last year, the High Court dismissed Mat Salleh’s appeal and upheld both his conviction and sentence. Mat Salleh subsequently appealed to the Court of Appeal.

In today’s proceedings, lawyer Abdul Rahman Ab Razak represented Mat Salleh, while deputy public prosecutor Atiqah Abdul Karim @ Husaini appeared for the prosecution. - FMT