{
  "id": 11380777,
  "title": "Former bowling coach gets 2 more years for outraging ex-Sukma athlete’s modesty",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/former-bowling-coach-gets-2-more-years-for-outraging-ex-sukma-11380777",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-02T06:38:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/10/02/former-bowling-coach-gets-2-more-years-for-outraging-ex-sukma-athlete-s-modesty"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mat Salleh Jalani, a former bowling coach, has been given an additional two-year prison sentence for outraging the modesty of a former Sukma athlete who was just 13 years old when the crime took place. The decision was made by the Court of Appeal, which unanimously agreed with the prosecution's appeal against the acquittal of the 63-year-old coach. The three-judge panel, consisting of Justices Azmi Ariffin, Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz, and Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid, ruled that the sentence should be served consecutively with the six-year term Mat Salleh is already serving for sexually assaulting another former Sukma athlete under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.\n\nThe Court of Appeal overturned the High Court's decision that the victim's (identified as SP3) evidence was not \"unusually convincing.\" SP3 began training under Mat Salleh in 2017 to prepare for the 2018 Sukma Games. The coach drove SP3 to and from training, at his mother's request. The first alleged incident occurred in May 2017 at a staff parking area in Paya Bunga Square, Kuala Terengganu, with further alleged incidents taking place until 2020. Two other trainees, SP4 and SP5, claimed they were also molested by Mat Salleh and witnessed the assault on SP3. SP3 finally disclosed the incidents in 2021, expressing his desire for other young trainees not to face the same ordeal.\n\nHayatul, the judge who delivered the judgment, noted that SP3's evidence was consistent, remained unshakeable during cross-examination, and was backed by his mother and the two other trainees. She emphasized that a delay in reporting sexual offenses does not, by itself, undermine a victim's credibility, citing a Federal Court decision that acknowledges victims may be hesitant to report such incidents for various reasons. The court upheld the conviction and increased the sentence from 18 to 24 months in jail.",
  "summary": "The Court of Appeal says the High Court was wrong to reject the victim’s evidence, finding it consistent and supported by other witnesses.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Former bowling coach gets 2 more years for outraging ex-Sukma athlete’s modesty",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/former-bowling-coach-gets-2-more-years-for-outraging-ex-sukma",
        "published": "2026-10-02T06:38:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}