KUCHING – A 62-year-old e-hailing driver was sentenced to one day in jail and fined RM5,000 by the Magistrates’ Court here today for insulting the modesty of a teenage girl by asking her to remove her headscarf during a ride.
Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan handed down the sentence after Wan Allam Halim Shah pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 509 of the Penal Code, which carries a punishment of up to five years in jail, a fine, or both.
The driver, who is a retiree, paid the fine to avoid the three-week jail term in default.
According to the charge, Wan Allam had intended to insult the modesty of the 16-year-old girl during a ride at around 11pm on April 26 at Jalan Camar.
Based on court documents, the incident occurred when Wan Allam picked up the victim from her workplace at Jalan Matang, where she had just completed a part-time shift at an eatery, and was heading to her home in Kampung Rampangi.
During the journey, Wan Allam repeatedly asked the girl to remove her headscarf, stating that he wanted to see her face because he didn’t believe she was only 16 years old.
The girl refused to comply and felt humiliated by the request, especially as it violated her religious values as a Muslim woman. She recorded a video of the incident as evidence and later lodged a police report, which led to Wan Allam’s arrest.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Adriana Maisarah Mohd Farid represented the prosecution. The accused was unrepresented.
The case has raised concerns about passenger safety and religious sensitivity, especially among Muslim women using e-hailing services. – TheBorneoPost
