Hafiz Damian Abdul Qawwiy pleaded not guilty after the charge was read before magistrate Atiqah Mohamed, Berita Harian reported.

He was charged with making a gesture intended to insult the modesty of the 28-year-old woman at the Taman Pertama MRT station at 8.53pm on Sunday.

The charge framed under Section 509 of the Penal Code is punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine, or both, upon conviction.

Sufi Sukor from the national legal aid foundation, who represented Hafiz, sought bail of RM1,000 for the accused, saying Hafiz was a first-time offender and needed to sit for an examination soon.

Sufi added that the accused had fully cooperated with the police and posed no risk of becoming a fugitive. “His stepfather is here to post bail and has RM1,000.”

The magistrate allowed him to post bail at RM1,000 and ordered him to report to the police station every month. She fixed Aug 18 for mention.