The Court of Appeal has upheld a six-year jail term for a former coach convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage athlete, citing the need for public awareness.

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal today upheld the six-year prison sentence of a former bowling coach for sexually assaulting a teenage Malaysia Games (SUKMA) athlete eight years ago.

A three-member bench comprising Justices Datuk Azman Abdullah, Datuk Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz and Datuk Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid unanimously dismissed Mat Salleh Jalani’s appeal against his conviction and sentence.

Justice Azman, delivering the court’s decision, stated the victim had no reason to fabricate evidence regarding the appellant’s actions.

He said the six-year imprisonment and subsequent two-year police supervision were upheld to serve as a form of awareness to the appellant and the public against taking advantage of children.

The Sessions Court in Kuala Terengganu had originally sentenced the 62-year-old Mat Salleh to six years’ imprisonment on May 16, 2024, after finding him guilty of the assault.

The offence involved a teenage boy, who was 14 years and one month old at the time, in a residential area in Marang, Terengganu in March 2018.

The Sessions Court also ordered Mat Salleh to undergo police supervision for two years after completing his prison sentence.

The High Court had previously dismissed his initial appeal and upheld the conviction and sentence on April 22 last year.

Mat Salleh subsequently brought his final appeal to the Court of Appeal.

Lawyer Muhammad Abdul Rahman Ab Razak represented Mat Salleh in today’s proceedings while Deputy Public Prosecutor Atiqah Abdul Karim @ Husaini appeared for the prosecution.

 The Sun Malaysia