Cemetery sex couple file appeal against conviction, sentencing

2026-03-27 - 15:00

Halila Abu Bakar and M Jegathesan being escorted by police to the magistrate’s court in George Town on Thursday. GEORGE TOWN: The couple who was found guilty of gross indecency at a cemetery here have filed an appeal at the High Court today, challenging their conviction and sentence. M Jegathesan, 58, and Halila Abu Bakar, 37, were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment by the magistrate’s court on Thursday after they pleaded guilty to committing gross indecency at a Chinese cemetery last week. The appeal was filed by lawyer Naran Singh, who said the jail sentence was “too severe” given the circumstances. He said the High Court would be asked to review the sentence and to consider whether the punishment imposed was excessive. The prosecution had asked the court on Thursday to impose a deterrent sentence to warn the public against committing indecent acts, while the couple’s then lawyer, R Purantharan, pleaded for leniency, on grounds that Jegathesan had to care for his wife, a stroke patient, and their two children, while Halila was unemployed and was supported by her family. Naran said the court may be asked to look into whether the sentence fits the facts and the personal circumstances of the accused. The case came to light after a video clip circulated on social media showing a couple engaged in sex at the cemetery in Batu Gantong last Sunday morning. A police report was later filed by a 69-year-old man.