SEREMBAN: A rubber tapper was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment by the Sessions Court today (Dec 20) after pleading guilty to committing incest with his 11-year-old daughter in 2019.
The 52-year-old accused entered his plea before judge Datin Surita Budin after the charge was read out.
The court ordered the prison sentence to commence from the date of his arrest on Jan 31, 2020. The accused will also receive five strokes of the rotan.
"After considering the accused's plea for leniency, the facts of the case and the aggravating factors presented by the prosecution, the court finds the accused guilty.
"The accused is also required to undergo one year of police supervision after completing his sentence and two years of rehabilitation counselling during his incarceration," she said.
Earlier, defence lawyer Muhamad Hafiz Leman requested the court to impose the minimum prison sentence, citing the accused's age.
"The accused is determined to rebuild his life and care for his mother upon release," he said.
Deputy public prosecutor Norazihah Asmuni argued for a commensurate sentence, emphasising the gravity of the crime committed by the accused as a father.
"A guilty plea should not be considered a mitigating factor. As a father, the accused should have been a protector but instead took opportunity (upon his child). We seek a severe sentence as a deterrent," she said.
According to the charge, the accused committed the offence between 8pm and midnight from June to Dec 2019 at a house in Tampin.
The charge was filed under Section 376B of the Penal Code, which carries a minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of 30 years' imprisonment, along with whipping upon conviction.