{
  "id": 2973396,
  "title": "Tahfiz teacher in Ampang pleads not guilty to four sexual assault charges on pupils",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/tahfiz-teacher-in-ampang-pleads-not-guilty-to-four-sexual-assault",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-24T07:46:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/08/24/tahfiz-teacher-in-ampang-pleads-not-guilty-to-four-sexual-assault-charges-on-pupils/232497"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A 35-year-old teacher at a religious school in Taman Keramat, Ampang pleaded not guilty in the Ampang Sessions Court to four charges of sexually assaulting two male pupils, aged 10 and 11, between July and August 2026. The alleged offences, which violate Sections 14(a), 14(b) and 16(1) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years' imprisonment and multiple caning strokes. The deputy public prosecutor, Nadiah Malek Fauzie, opposed bail, citing the severity of the allegations and the risk of the accused threatening the victims if released. However, the accused's lawyer, Mohd Zaharudeen Harun, argued that his client had been fired from his job and required bail to support his elderly parents. The court granted bail at RM30,000 with one surety, necessitating the accused's monthly check-ins at a police station and forbidding any contact with the victims or witnesses. The case will be revisited on October 5, 2026.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 — A 35-year-old tahfiz teacher pleaded not guilty today in the Ampang Sessions Court to four...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Tahfiz teacher charged with sexually assaulting two pupils",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/tahfiz-teacher-charged-with-sexually-assaulting-two-pupils",
        "published": "2026-08-24T06:58:20.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Tahfiz teacher in Ampang pleads not guilty to four sexual assault charges on pupils",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/tahfiz-teacher-in-ampang-pleads-not-guilty-to-four-sexual-assault-2974239",
        "published": "2026-08-24T07:46:43.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}