Kota Kinabalu: Sexual abuse cases continued to dominate Sabah courtrooms in 2025, with a high-profile molest conviction involving a political figure underscoring the persistent and troubling nature of such crimes.
Among the cases that drew public attention was that of Phillip Among, who has been suspended as Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star)’s Putatan Parliamentary Coordinator.
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He was jailed eight months and fined RM5,000, in default four months’ imprisonment, for molesting a teenage girl four years ago.
The Magistrate’s Court handed down the sentence after ruling that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted Phillip of the charge.
Phillip was found guilty of molesting an 18-year-old girl at about 11pm on April 17, 2021, at the living room of Jesselton Capsule Inn in Asia City here.
The court granted Phillip’s application to stay execution of the sentence pending appeal to the High Court.
Statistics showed a slight decline in sexual abuse cases in Sabah in 2025, with about 100 cases recorded statewide compared to 112 cases in 2024.
Kota Kinabalu remained recorded the highest number of cases, followed by Sandakan and Tawau, with many cases heard in the Kota Kinabalu courts involving victims from districts such as Tuaran, Kota Belud, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Kudat, Keningau, Beaufort and Papar.
Court proceedings revealed a disturbing pattern where many offences were committed by trusted individuals, including biological fathers, stepfathers, brothers, uncles, grandfathers and teachers, with most rape victims being underaged girls.
Some victims became pregnant and later delivered babies as a result of the rape, while several sexual abuse cases involved male victims.
Sessions Court judges repeatedly described rape and sexual abuse as rampant and serious offences, noting that such cases were brought before the courts almost daily.
Prosecutors consistently pressed for heavier sentences to reflect the gravity of the crimes, as cases continued to be resolved through guilty pleas, acquittals after full trials, or remained pending trial.
Another notable case this year involved a 40-year-old man who raped his two stepdaughters over a period of 11 years.
He was jailed for 36 years and ordered to receive 22 strokes of the cane. The man had raped the girls since they were six and nine years old in Keningau.
In another case, a 54-year-old man who committed physical sexual harassment against two kindergarten girls while sending and fetching them from school was sentenced to a total of 30 years’ imprisonment and three strokes of the cane.
Rusli Japar pleaded guilty to the charges, which stated that he touched the private parts of two five-year-old girls while sending them to kindergarten.
Meanwhile, a 33-year-old primary school teacher was charged with eight counts of committing physical sexual harassment against four pupils.
Lowoyon Elod Jiviol pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The charges stated that he allegedly committed the offences against two girls and two boys, all aged 11, by touching their breasts and private parts inside a classroom at a school in Kudat in 2024.
Another case that drew attention involved a National Registration Department (NRD) staff member who used his position to contact a boy from Tawau to come to the city on the pretext of an identity card matter.
He was jailed 11 years and ordered to receive one stroke of the cane for physically sexually harassing the boy.
The court handed down the sentence to Sharif Hardi Roman Sh. Miasin after ruling that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. Sharif was found guilty of performing oral sex on the 15-year-old boy at about 4.40pm on Jan 4, 2022, at the VVIP toilet in the NRD building here.
In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Sharif was working at the NRD at the time of the offence and had abused his position by calling the victim, who then travelled from Tawau to Kota Kinabalu after Sharif offered to assist him.
Another case, a religious teacher, Muhammad Sabri Saidin, 30, was charged with sexually grooming a 15-year-old boy through messages and WhatsApp texts containing sexual content last April.
He claimed trial to the charge.
Meanwhile, a 45-year-old primary school teacher was acquitted of a charge of physically sexually harassing his nine-year-old male pupil, without his defence being called.
No prima facie case had established against Rosle Basas.
Rosle was accused of committing the offence by touching a part of the boy’s body in a classroom at a school here in August 2023.
