A witness in the ongoing sexual harassment trial of preacher Ebit Irawan Ibrahim Lew, popularly known as Ebit Lew, testified at the Tenom magistrates’ court, claiming that Lew had sent her more than 375 lewd messages, including during the holy month of Ramadan.
Claims of lewd messages during Ramadan
According to a report by Sinar Harian, the prosecution’s ninth witness stated that these messages had significantly outraged her modesty.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Raya Zahida Zakaria questioned the witness about the nature of the “lewd words” sent by Lew.
The witness explained, “What I meant was that he was trying to arouse me for the purpose of entertaining his sexual desires.”
This testimony was given before Magistrate Nur Asyraf Zolhani.
Deeply offensive and aimed at provoking sexual arousal
During the court proceedings, the witness was asked to read aloud the explicit messages sent by Ebit Lew and to provide her interpretation of their content.
She described the messages as being deeply offensive, aimed at provoking sexual arousal to fulfill Lew’s desires.
“To me, these words would outrage a woman’s modesty as he is trying to get someone to satisfy his sexual desires,” she explained.
‘He should always be with his wife’
She also recounted telling Lew that if he needed such interactions, he should turn to his wife instead.
“What I meant was that he should always be with his wife so that he would not need to seduce others,” she said.
Perception vs. reality: The preacher’s public image
The witness expressed that her perception of Ebit Lew’s character, based on his social media persona, was vastly different from the reality she experienced.
She mentioned that his social media posts often depicted him respecting women and likening his wife to an angel, which had led her to believe that he held women in high regard.
However, the lewd messages painted a starkly different picture, suggesting that he viewed women primarily as objects for sexual gratification.
The legal charges against Ebit Lew
Ebit Lew, 38, is facing 11 charges related to outraging the modesty of a woman in her 40s by sending obscene words and images via WhatsApp between March and June 2021.
These charges fall under Section 509 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine, or both if convicted.
