Kota Kinabalu: A 72-year-old man, known as “ustaz Ahmad”, was jailed a total of 14 years and ordered to get two strokes of the cane for sexually abusing two minors.
Ahmad Matali pleaded guilty before Sessions Court Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan to two charges.
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On the first count, Ahmad was sentenced to seven years and a stroke of the cane for committing the offence against a nine-year-old girl by kissing her on mouth for sexual purpose at the end of June 2025 by the roadside of a village in Papar.
On the second count, he was jailed another seven years and ordered to get a stroke of the cane for committing a similar offence against a seven-year-old by kissing her on mouth for sexual purpose at 6.30pm on Oct 5, 2025 at a dining room of a house in Papar.
The offence under Section 14 (a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act (SOACA) 2017 carries a jail term of up 20 years and whipping, on conviction.
The court ordered Ahmad to serve the jail sentences consecutively from the date of his arrest.
Ahmad was also ordered to undergo rehabilitation counselling while serving his sentence.
After serving the jail sentences, he was also ordered to be placed under police supervision for two years.
The court heard that the first incident, involving the nine-year-old girl, occurred while the victim and her sister were walking along the roadside, when Ahmad approached them and gave RM1 to the victim.
Ahmad later asked the victim to come to him, then hugged her and kissed her on the mouth for almost 10 minutes. The incident was witnessed by the victim’s uncle.
For the second incident, Ahmad, went to the seven-year-old girl’s house and taught her to read the Al-Quran.
After the victim completed her reading, Ahmad kissed her on the mouth, and the victim’s mother witnessed the incident.
Following police reports, Ahmad was arrested. Deputy Public Prosecutor Bryan Francis prosecuted.
