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A 61-year-old senior citizen has claimed trial at the Magistrates’ Court here today to a charge of allegedly molesting an 18-year-old man in a sauna at a gymnasium in a shopping mall on Sunday.

Datuk Saiful Anuar Abdul Aziz, who is an architect, denied the charge when it was presented before Magistrate Siti Nurul Ain Ariffin.

He is accused of using force against an 18-year-old man by touching his body with the intention of molesting him. The alleged offence reportedly occurred at 7.10pm on October 18 in a sauna at a gymnasium located in a shopping mall.

The charge falls under Section 354 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum 10-year jail term, a fine, whipping, or a combination of two of these penalties if convicted.

Deputy Public Prosecutor M Ramanathan Alias Ashwin sought RM15,000 bail, backed by one surety. He also asked the court to prohibit the accused from approaching or interfering with the complainant and prosecution witnesses, and to retain his passport until the proceedings conclude.

Defence lawyer K Theivaendran, however, requested a reduced bail sum, explaining that his client was responsible for supporting his ailing 89-year-old mother and a younger sibling.

The defence also challenged the request for the passport to be surrendered, saying the accused needed to travel for overseas business projects, including in Riyadh, but was not a flight risk.

The prosecution countered that the accused’s overseas commitments could increase the possibility of him fleeing before the case is resolved.

After considering submissions from both sides, Siti Nurul Ain granted bail of RM9,000 with one surety and approved the additional conditions requested by the prosecution.

The court also ordered the accused to comply with the restrictions on contacting or interfering with the victim and prosecution witnesses, and to surrender his passport until the case is concluded.

The court fixed November 26 for mention of the case.

Previously, a local media reported that the victim is the son of a senior Malaysia Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) officer. However, the report is believed to be taken down at the time of writing.

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