Magistrate Aina Azahra Arifin meted out the punishment after Zahiruddin changed his plea to guilty on the first day of his defence proceedings. Aina Azahra ordered him to serve the sentence at Kajang Prison from today.

He had been charged with committing gross indecency against a 15-year old boy at an alley of a housing area near Tasik Kecil, Medan Idaman Ibu, Kota Wangsa Maju, at 5.30pm on Sept 17, 2016. The charge carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment on conviction.

Muhammad Zahiruddin had been acquitted and discharged at a previous trial. However the High Court allowed the prosecution’s appeal and ordered Zahiruddin to enter his defence.

Deputy public prosecutor Illya Syaheedah Mohd Razif pressed for just punishment considering the victim’s age during the incident and that it had also caused the boy to be depressed and suicidal.

“The victim was also in constant fear after being blackmailed by the accused,” she said.

Lawyer Azlan Abdul Razak representing Muhammad Zahiruddin appealed for a minimum jail term because his client was still young and regretted his action, and he was still actively involved in motivational activities.

According to the facts of the case, the boy’s father, who was the complainant, said that his son had met the accused when the boy went to Zahiruddin’s office in June 2016 to discuss martial arts.

Zahiruddin said he wanted to get to know the son better and asked for his phone number and mentioned wanting to adopt him as a brother.

He contacted the boy and asked to meet several times, however the requests were declined by the teenager. However, the boy relented and went out with Zahiruddin, during which he had committed acts of gross indecency against the youngster in a car.

The victim told his parents before lodging a police report.