Bernama reported that the 40-year-old man was charged with having unnatural sex with the girl, aged nine years and 10 months, on the balcony of an apartment in Cheras at 2am on April 8.

He was charged under Section 377c of the Penal Code for carnal intercourse against the order of nature without consent, read together with Section 16(1) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which provides for imprisonment of up to 30 years and a whipping, upon conviction.

Lawyer Charanpal Singh, representing the accused, asked for his client to be allowed bail, saying he was the sole breadwinner of the family and had to send his four other children, aged seven to 14, to school.

He said the seven-year-old child had a heart problem and needed follow-up treatment in hospital.

Judge Zulqarnain Hassan did not allow him bail and set June 17 for mention.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Faizah Khalilah Zaberi.