JOHOR BARU, Sept 27 — A policeman in Johor is in trouble with the law after his colleague from Melaka accused him of seducing his wife, and formally filed a complaint based on a controversial law that critics have panned as outdated.

Johor police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said that the state police have opened up an investigation paper to investigate the claims made in the report under Section 498 of the Penal Code for enticing a married woman with criminal intent.

If charged and convicted, the Johor officer could be jailed up to two years, fined, or both.

"We received the report on the matter last Thursday and the policeman accused of having the affair with the married woman has also come forward and lodged a report to deny the allegation.

"Police will still carry out an investigation despite the case involving our own personnel.

"We will take appropriate action in accordance with the law, if the accusation is found to be true,” Ayob Khan told a news conference at the Johor police contingent headquarters here today.

His comments came in response to a question on the Johor police action towards the case that had been shared on WhatsApp last week.

Malay Mail understands the complainant is a 25-year-old policeman based in Melaka accusing a 23-year-old officer in Johor of seducing his 24-year-old wife into having an affair.

The Melaka officer and his wife both live in Muar, Johor which is near the Melaka border.

Critics of the law have long called for Section 498 to be dismantled as it was drawn up by the colonial British and based on the outdated belief that a woman is the property of her husband.

Section 498 also punishes only the accused adulterer outside the marriage and not the spouse who committed the alleged infidelity.

A recent case in which Section 498 was invoked happened in May last year.

New Straits Times reported actor Muhammad Shah Radhi Hazvee, 24, as being charged by the public prosecutor at the Magistrate's Court in Ampang on May 29, with enticing Nurul Haireena Isnin who was at that time married to Syed Mukhris Syed Ismail Shahabudin, into having sexual intercourse.

The outcome of the case is not known as there have been no more news reports on the matter.