Instructor ordered to financially compensate student for instances of sexual misconduct, totaling RM15,000.
In a recent development, a three-member tribunal panel has ordered a 52-year-old lecturer from the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) to pay RM15,000 in compensation to a student for verbal sexual harassment that caused her significant emotional and psychological distress.
The charges against the lecturer were brought forth under Section 354 of the Penal Code for verbal sexual assault intended to outrage the student’s modesty. The lecturer is currently suspended from his teaching duties.
It is important to note that this incident did not occur at UiTM, but at a private college in Nilai. The student involved in the incident is still enrolled at the same college.
The panel, chaired by Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor, made the finding after a thorough investigation. The lecturer had been charged in the Seremban sessions court on May 21.
The latest ruling comes two years after the lecturer was terminated by UiTM following allegations of sexual harassment. In a previous incident, a female student reported that she was asked inappropriate survey questions during a phone call with the lecturer.
The lecturer also faces an ongoing trial under Section 509 of the Penal Code for an earlier alleged harassment incident that occurred at the same private college in Nilai. The trial is currently underway at the Tangkak sessions court.
The student involved in the earlier incident has also reported psychological and emotional distress as a result of the harassment. The specific section of the Penal Code that the lecturer was charged under is Section 354, not Section 509, as previously reported in some media outlets.
UiTM had terminated the lecturer's employment due to the previous sexual harassment allegations. The lecturer has been charged with verbal sexual assault under Section 354 of the Penal Code, not under Section 509 as previously reported.
The tribunal's decision serves as a reminder of the seriousness of sexual harassment and the need for all educational institutions to take such allegations seriously and take appropriate action. The ongoing trial underscores the importance of the judicial process in ensuring justice for all parties involved.
References: [1] Various sources.
- Despite being previously terminated by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) due to earlier sexual harassment allegations, the lecturer is now facing a RM15,000 compensation order from a three-member tribunal panel over verbal sexual harassment that occurred at a private college in Nilai, under charges brought forth under Section 354 of the Penal Code.
- The ongoing trial under Section 509 of the Penal Code at the Tangkak sessions court against the same lecturer for an earlier alleged harassment incident at the same private college in Nilai serves as a testament to the importance of the judicial process in Malaysia's politics and crime-and-justice sector.
