Johor bahru: A teacher was charged at the Sessions and Magistrate's Courts here today with five counts of sexually assaulting a female student and two counts of possessing pornographic material. Mohamad Amirul Firdaus Awang Meran, 28, pleaded not guilty to all five charges read before Judge Nor Aziati Jaafar and Judge Madihah Zainol, as well as two charges before Magistrate Atifah Hazimah Wahab.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the accused, a teacher in a position of trust, was charged with physical sexual assault against the student, who was 11 years old at the time of the incident, in a car at a playground parking lot in Masai here between February 2024 and August 2025. The charges were framed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, read together with Section 16(1) of the same Act, which provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment and whipping. He also faces an additional sentence under Section 16(1), which carries a maximum of five years' imprisonment and a minimum of two strokes of the cane, if convicted.
Meanwhile, in the Magistrate's Court, the man was charged with two counts of storing obscene material in two mobile phones at Jalan Seri Wangi 1/1, Taman Perindustrian Plentong, Masai, at 10.30 pm on May 21. The offence, under Section 292(a) of the Penal Code, provides for a maximum sentence of three years' imprisonment, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutors Nur Farah Wahida Shahudin, S.S. Manushri, and Sarah Siti Aisyah Mustapha Kamal proposed bail of RM20,000 for all charges, with additional conditions. Lawyers Nur Zafirah Norizan and Ungku Ahmad Hafis Ungku Fathil, representing Mohamad Amirul Firdaus, requested that the bail amount be reduced, saying that their client earns a net monthly income of RM3,000 and has been a teacher for five years. Judge Nor Aziati and Judge Madihah allowed bail of RM13,000, while Atifah Hazimah set bail at RM6,000.
The courts also imposed additional conditions, namely that the accused is prohibited from harassing the victim, must surrender his international passport to the court, and report to the nearest police station once a month. The case is fixed for mention on July 13.