Nancy hoped that the relevant parties would appeal against the sentence.

“In my view, a harsher punishment should be imposed on his heinous actions, especially since as a stepfather, he should be protecting his family and not behaving in such a manner,” she said in a statement.

Nancy said a harsher punishment would not only deliver justice for the victim, but also deter others from committing similar crimes.

“I don’t think I am alone in my view that the punishment is too lenient for such a grave offence,” she said, adding that any form of exploitation or sexual harassment of children must not be tolerated.

Yesterday, MCA deputy secretary-general Dr Pamela Yong also urged the deputy public prosecutor’s office to appeal against the decision of the sessions court to only fine the stepfather for his actions.

Yong said the RM6,000 fine “utterly fails to reflect the severity of his crime”, offering no real deterrent.

The 56-year-old cleaner pleaded guilty after he was charged in the Muar sessions court on Wednesday with possessing child pornography, specifically 18 video recordings and pictures of his stepdaughter taking a shower.

The charge was framed under Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act, which provides for up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of RM10,000, or both, upon conviction.