SANDAKAN: A middle-aged man who violated the trust placed in him as a school transport driver has been sentenced to a decade behind bars for sexually assaulting a young passenger.
The Sandakan sessions court on Wednesday imposed a 10-year prison sentence on 45-year-old Abdul Rahimanshaf Abdul Rahim after he entered a guilty plea to charges of child molestation. Sessions court judge Zaini Fishir @ Fisal also ordered five strokes of rotan, mandatory psychological counseling throughout his incarceration, and a two-year police supervision period upon release.
The convicted offender had been hired by the victim’s family to provide safe transportation to school – a responsibility that made his criminal actions particularly egregious.
Court proceedings revealed that the assault occurred on July 29 during the midday period between 12pm and 1pm while the child was in his vehicle.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Al Hakim Abdul Razak outlined the disturbing facts of the case, explaining how the defendant exploited his position of trust to commit the offense against the six-year-old victim.
The crime came to light on August 4 when the young victim, experiencing physical discomfort, courageously disclosed the incident to her mother at their family home. The child’s 31-year-old father was immediately informed and promptly contacted authorities to file an official police report.
During questioning, the victim provided details of the assault, describing how the perpetrator had engaged in inappropriate sexual contact using food items, causing her physical pain during the encounter.
Law enforcement officers arrested Abdul Rahimanshaf the following day on August 5. During their investigation, police discovered and seized video evidence that proved instrumental in securing the conviction.
The case was strengthened by digital evidence found in the defendant’s possession. Investigators recovered video footage showing the accused engaging in inappropriate contact with a female child passenger inside his vehicle. The authenticity of the evidence was confirmed through distinctive interior features of the car, including unique beaded seat coverings that matched the defendant’s vehicle exactly. This conclusive physical evidence linked the accused directly to the criminal activity captured on video.
The court’s sentence reflects the serious nature of crimes against children. Abdul Rahimanshaf was convicted under multiple sections of Malaysia’s Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017: Section 14 for physical sexual assault on a child, Section 26(1) for mandatory counseling requirements during imprisonment, and Section 27(1) for post-release supervision obligations.