KUALA LUMPUR • A 46-year-old man has claimed trial to 334 counts of raping his niece from the age of five, Malaysian media reported.

The unemployed man allegedly began abusing the victim in 2010, The Sun Daily website reported.

Clad in a blue T-shirt, he remained calm when the charges were read out to him by the court officers, and pleaded not guilty to all of them.

A total of 200 charges were read out in the morning.

The remaining 134 charges were read out in the afternoon, the website reported.

The accused was charged under Section 376B of the Penal Code for incest.

The offences were allegedly committed at a flat in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur between January 2010 and December 2014.

The abuse allegedly continued on another three occasions in January 2018, The Sun Daily reported.

The charges for incest carry a maximum jail term of 30 years and whipping upon conviction.

The man will appear in court again on Monday to be charged with another 230 counts of rape against the victim's two siblings who are now aged 10 and 17, the website said.

His lawyer, Mr Muhammad Amin, had requested bail, saying the man suffered from a medical condition that required regular check-ups.

Judge Mohamad Kamil Nizam, however, denied bail, noting that the accused had an established relationship with the victim, which could lead to witness tampering.

The case will next be mentioned on March 13.