KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — Two Pakistani men pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here on Wednesday to a charge of gang-raping an Indonesian woman at a hotel unit in Jalan Imbi last month.
The accused, identified as Ali Arshad, 36, and Habib Ur Rahman, 43, entered their pleas after the charge was read before Judge Mazuliana Abdul Rashid.
According to the charge sheet, both men were alleged to have jointly raped a 23-year-old Indonesian woman between 9.58pm on April 14 and 9.30am on April 15 at a hotel located in the Jalan Imbi area of Kuala Lumpur.
The pair were charged under Section 375B of the Penal Code for gang rape. If convicted, they face a jail sentence of between 10 and 30 years.
During the proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor J. Banusha objected to bail for both accused, citing the seriousness of the offence and the possibility that the men could abscond before the trial is completed.
Lawyer S. Vinesh, who represented Ali Arshad, appealed for bail to be granted to his client. He informed the court that Ali had been residing in Malaysia for the past 18 years and was employed in the plantation sector. The defence also stated that this was Ali’s first offence.
However, Habib Ur Rahman appeared in court without legal representation during the hearing.
After hearing submissions from both sides, Judge Mazuliana ordered that the two accused remain in custody until the disposal of the case. The court then fixed June 4 for re-mention of the case and further proceedings.
The case has attracted public attention due to the seriousness of the allegations and has once again raised concerns regarding crimes involving violence against women. Authorities are expected to continue investigations while the court process proceeds according to Malaysian law.
Under Malaysian criminal procedure, all accused persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
