KOTA KINABALU: Former senior Sabah STAR politician Phillip Among has been sentenced to a total of 43 months in prison and fined RM14,000 by the Magistrates Court after being found guilty of four counts of molesting a contestant during the 2021 State Unduk Ngadau beauty pageant. Magistrate Marilyn Kelvin issued the sentence after determining that the defence did not raise a reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case. Phillip, 53, who served as the Sabah STAR Parliamentary Coordinator for the Putatan Division, committed the offences while he was the technical head of the 2021 Unduk Ngadau competition, which took place during the state-level Pesta Kaamatan celebrations. In June 2021, police reports were filed against him by a contestant who alleged sexual assault during the pageant. The trial began in April 2022, with the court ordering him to present his defence on Dec 12, 2024.

Source: The Star January 13, 2026 02:43 UTC