The 43-year-old man, a priest at a temple in Semenyih, pleaded not guilty before judge Surita Budin to committing the offence at a house in Semenyih at 10.35pm on Dec 5.

The offence, under Section 31 (1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, is punishable by a maximum fine of RM50,000, a jail term of up to 20 years, or both upon conviction.

The court allowed the priest bail of RM15,000 in one surety and set Jan 10, 2019, for case mention.

Deputy public prosecutor Siti Noor Hafizan Zakaria had proposed bail of RM20,000 and asked the court to order the accused to keep away from his two other children.

However, the priest’s lawyer, SR Sree Devi Naidu, asked the court to reduce the sum, saying the accused was poor and had lost his job, while his house is being auctioned.

It is learned that the two other children, both girls, aged 12 and eight, are currently living with the accused’s wife.