Review RM16,000 fine on teacher who molested pupils, say lawyers

Two lawyers, SN Nair and V Kokila Vaani, have called for a review of a RM16,000 fine imposed on a secondary school teacher who molested three schoolgirls. According to the lawyers, while the teacher's guilty plea was a mitigating factor, it could not outweigh the severity of the crimes committed against children by someone entrusted with their education and welfare.

Nair called the RM16,000 fine "profoundly troubling and disproportionate," arguing that it fails to adequately reflect the principles of punishment, deterrence, denunciation, and protection of vulnerable children. He urged the public prosecutor to review the sentence and, if necessary, appeal against its inadequacy. Kokila Vaani, a Bar Council member, echoed similar sentiments, stating that although the sentences were within the court's powers and discretion, they appeared to be "very lenient" with no deterrent effect.

She pointed out that the abuse of a teacher's position of trust against vulnerable students should carry significant weight in the court's consideration of appropriate penalties. The lawyers cited a previous case involving a secondary school discipline teacher who received a two-year jail sentence and was caned six times, emphasizing that Malaysian courts have considered imprisonment and whipping to be appropriate punishments in cases involving teacher-student relationships.