Paul Yong found guilty of rape

(FMT) – Tronoh assemblyman Paul Yong has been found guilty of raping his former maid.

High Court judge Abdul Wahab Mohamed ruled that the prosecution had proved the elements of the charge through the witnesses who testified in court.

Yong, a former state executive councillor, had been charged with raping the woman in a room at his house in Meru Desa Park here between 8.15pm and 9.15pm on July 9, 2019.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charge under Section 376 (1) of the Penal Code.

He faces a maximum 20-year jail term and whipping.

Junjungan Sigalingging, first secretary of the Indonesian embassy in Malaysia, said Jakarta had been closely monitoring the case since it involved its citizen and was satisfied with the court’s decision.

The Indonesian government had also appointed a lawyer to hold a watching brief throughout the trial.

“We are satisfied with the High Court’s decision. The decision has shown that Malaysia’s legal system is able to bring justice.

“Today, we are grateful to God Almighty and we highly appreciate the High Court judge who has shown wisdom and fairness in presiding over the case,” he said in a statement.