14 February 2004

Silat instructor suspected of molest freed on police bail

TAIPING, Fri. - A 47-year-old silat olahraga instructor suspected of molesting four of his female students was released on police bail after his five-day remand expired today.

His hands were still handcuffed when he was escorted from the Taiping magistrate's court today.

A father of eight, the man had friends, students and relatives waiting for his release at the compound of the magistrate's court, but they were not allowed to communicate with him.

He surrendered to the police on Monday and was detained to assist police investigation into the allegations of molest.

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Molest case: Silat instructor released on police bail

TAIPING: A silat instructor remanded for five days to help investigations into molest allegations made by his female students, was yesterday released on police bail.

The 47-year-old man was whisked away from the Taiping magistrate's court with his hands still cuffed.

Friends, students and relatives who waited to see the father of eight were not allowed to talk to him.

One of his victims had even alleged that she had been raped several times by the instructor from June 2002 until June 2003 before she garnered the courage to report the matter.

She said the first time was at his gym in Taman Air Kuning, Taiping.

The girl, one of his students, claimed she was grabbed by the hand from the back and immediately blacked out.

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12 February 2004

Assaults took place in the gym

TAIPING: It was more than just groping her body.

This was the shocking revelation made to The Malay Mail by a teenager who had earlier alleged that her 47-year-old silat instructor had molested her.

She said it had gone on for an entire year before she gathered enough courage to report the matter.

The 16-year-old school dropout claimed that she was first raped in June 2002 after training at a gym in Taman Ayer Kuning.

Recounting her ordeal, she said the man grabbed her from behind when she was about to leave the gym.

"I blacked out.

When I came to, I found myself naked," she said.

She said she left immediately, after putting on her clothes without confronting the father of eight.

The girl, who was 14 at the time, said the silat instructor had made suggestive overtures.

She said he had offered her so-called magical powers to maintain her beauty and physical strength.

"He was not happy when when I turned down his offer, but I never thought he would turn on me physically," she added.

She said she was not sure what had happened and thus kept the matter to herself.

Each time, the sequence of the instructor's alleged `rapes' was the same: A grab on any part of her body, followed by blackouts.

However, she remembered that her instructor had warned her not to tell anyone of what he did.

"He threatened me with black magic if anyone were to find out (what happened)," she said.

Her instructor's lust did not stop at the gym.

Once, she was instructed to fondle the man's penis when they were travelling on a bus for the Royal Pahang Martial Arts Festival in Kuantan in June, last year.

Just before she was about to compete, the man suggested a `mandi bunga' ritual, with him giving her the bath.

"I was baffled by his suggestion.

It was four hours before I was due to compete.

I refused," she said.

"I had enough of his antics, I just quit the sport after that," she said.

Courage to confront the matter came with the help of another silat instructor, who had taught her previously.

Accompanying the girl during the interview yesterday, the man, who is in his late 30s, said he saw a distinct change in her behaviour and suspected that something was wrong.

"She is a bright kid.

Very talented and dedicated to her sport.

The six months I observed her showed a different person from the one I knew," he said.

He said initially she merely said that the man had groped her, but admitted later that it was more than that.

Written by NAJMAN ZAINUDDIN
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10 February 2004

Molest of students: Instructor detained

IPOH, Mon. - A 47-year-old silat instructor wanted in connection with several molest cases was detained in Taiping this morning.

Perak Criminal Investigation Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner II Wan Mohamad Wan Abdullah said the man surrendered at the Taiping police station at 10am after four of his female students, aged between 15 and 16, lodged reports against him last Friday.

The alleged molests took place at a gymnasium in Ayer Kuning, Taiping, during training from 2002 until this year, Wan Mohamad said after attending the Perak Police Contingent monthly gathering here.

Wan Mohamad said the incidents took place when the instructor was ostensibly teaching the victims how to maintain their "image and beauty" and "protect their skin from wrinkles".

The instructor, who is married with eight children, has managed the training centre for the past 10 years.

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09 February 2004

SILAT TEACHER ACCUSED OF MOLEST SURRENDERS IN TAIPING

IPOH, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- A silat teacher being hunted by the police in connection with reports of molestation by his female students surrendered at the Taiping Police Station today.

State CID Chief SAC II Wan Mohamad Wan Abdullah said the 47-year-old man, from Air Kuning, Taiping, surrendered at 10am and had been remanded for further investigations.

He said the arrest followed reports by four students, aged 15 and 16, last Friday that he molested them during afternoon silat sessions at a hall in Air Kuning some time between last December and January.

He said the father of eight, who had been teaching silat for 10 years, was said to have called the girls separately into a room off the hall on the pretext of teaching them facial massage but took the opportunity to grope their private parts.

Wan Mohamad also urged other victims to come forward and lodge police reports.

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Silat makes debut at Busan Asiad

BUSAN, South Korea: Pencak silat martial arts, native to Southeast Asian countries, made its debut at the Busan 2002 Asian Games, although the medals will not be counted in the final medal tally.

In a bid to be included in the Doha 2006 Asiad, the International Pencak Silat Federation (Persilat) is holding a two-day Pencak Silat Sport Cultural Event at the Pusan University of Foreign Studies gymnasium.

Opened by organizing committee chairman Kim Soo-il on Saturday, the event featured pesilat from eight countries: Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

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