Shahidan Kassim pleads not guilty to sexually assaulting underage girl
KANGAR: Former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim was charged in the Sessions court here yesterday with sexually assaulting an underage girl.
However, he pleaded not guilty to the charge before Judge Johari Hassan.
Shahidan, who is Arau MP, was charged with sexually assaulting the girl, aged 15 years and seven months, by touching her arm in a vehicle on the compound of Tuanku Syed Putra Stadium here at about 11.30pm last Oct 20.
The charge, under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, provides and imprisonment for up to 20 years and whipping, if found guilty.
He was released on bail of RM25,000, which was posted by his son, Ameer Shafi, and son-in-law, Muhamad Lokman Abdul Rashid.
The court has set Jan 8 for mention.
Earlier, Perlis chief prosecutor Muhamad Nordin Ismail, who prosecuted, requested for a high bail on grounds that this was a high profile case and of public interests, and also an order for Shahidan to surrender his passport to the court.
Lawyer Dhalia Rohana Abdul Latiff, representing Shahidan, said it was impossible for her client to abscond considering that he was a former Perlis Menteri Besar and had also led members of the Malaysian Parliament to international conferences.
Shahidan arrived at the court with his wife, Datin Seri Shamsiah Mohd Yassin and accompanied by about 50 supporters.