A Bangladeshi construction worker has been sentenced in Malaysia after pleading guilty to multiple charges of molesting women at crowded rail transit stations in Kuala Lumpur, the New Straits Times reports.
Md Romjan Ali, 41, was jailed for six months and fined RM15,100 ($3,836.32) after admitting to five separate charges of groping women aged between 21 and 28 at light rail transit (LRT) and mass rapid transit (MRT) stations in April, it added.
The offences were prosecuted under Section 354 of the Malaysian Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, along with fines, whipping, or a combination of punishments upon conviction.
Romjan pleaded guilty before Magistrates Aina Azahra Arifin, Faezahnoor Hasan, Nurul Izzah Hasan Basri and Farah Nabihah Muhamad Dan, who ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
Among the incidents, Magistrate Arifin sentenced him to three weeks’ imprisonment and fined RM3,500 for molesting a 21-year-old German woman near Chan Sow Lin LRT station on Apr 11.
Magistrate Nurul Izzah imposed a six-month jail term for groping a 28-year-old woman on a packed train travelling from Taman Midah to Muzium Negara on Apr 15, alongside a RM3,600 fine.
He was further fined RM5,000 by Magistrate Farah Nabihah for an incident on Apr 22 involving a 28-year-old woman at Maluri MRT station, and RM3,000 by Magistrate Faezahnoor for hugging a 25-year-old woman from behind near Chan Sow Lin LRT station on Apr 10.
The prosecution sought a deterrent sentence, stressing the repeated nature of the offences in public spaces.
Defence lawyer T Chandrasegaran told the court that Romjan was remorseful, adding: “He apologises for his actions and asks that he be fined.”
Romjan was arrested on Apr 27 following a series of complaints.