Court issues warrant of arrest against Shahidan Kassim

KANGAR: The Kangar sessions court today issued a warrant of arrest against former Minister-in-the-Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim for failing to be present in court to face charges, believed related to the case of an under-aged girl who was allegedly molested by him.
The arrest warrant was issued by sessions court judge Johari Abu Hassan, following deputy public prosecutor Mohd Nordin Ismail application.
Counsel Syed Muhamad Anwar Syed Lokman Hakim, representing Shahidan, who is the Arau MP, had objected to the issuing of the warrant citing that neither his client nor he had been informed about this earlier.
"I only got know about this (warrant of arrest) in court. My client is out of the country,” he said.
He added that the defence would be filing for a revocation of the arrest warrant.
"This is a high profile case involving a politician. Shahidan is domiciled in Perlis and has not run away,” he added.
Based on the status uploaded on his Facebook account, Shahidan is currently in the Holy Land performing the umrah (minor hajj).
Recently news had gone viral that Shahidan had allegedly molested a girl who was just 15 years and 11 months. It is alleged that the girl is from a buskers group that he sponsors.
The incident is alleged to have happened on Oct 21.
Shahidan, however, denied it and added that the police report lodged against him on this case had been withdrawn.
The father of the girl had also stated that the matter had been amicably resolved and the family deemed that there was no need to blow it out of proportion. — Bernama