A NON-GOVERNMENTAL organisation (NGO) urged the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) not to appeal against the sentencing meted out against those convicted for the murder of Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain.
“We are appalled that the AG is going to appeal against the High Court’s ruling of convicting six UPNM cadets for Zulfarhan’s murder.
“It’s disturbing that the public prosecutor hopes that the Court of Appeal will find the six guilty of murder under Section 302, which will result in the young persons to be sent to the gallows,” said Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture spokesperson Charles Hector.
On Nov 2, High Court judge Datuk Azman Abdullah found the six UNPN students guilty of causing Zulfarhan’s death four years later.
However, the judge convicted them under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code instead, for causing injuries to the deceased with no intent to murder, and sentenced them to 18 years of jail each.
They are Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Azamuddin Mad Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat, Mohamad Shobirin Sabri and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali.
Twelve others who were convicted of injuring Zulfarhan were sentenced to three years of imprisonment.
A day later, Bernama reported AG Tan Sri Idrus Harun as saying that his team would file an appeal against the ruling in order to get the six convicted under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carried the death penalty.
“Yes, we will file an appeal,” he was reported saying.
Abolish the death penalty
On that note, Hector said that the 18 years jail time was good enough of a punishment to the six, given that they were aged between 21 and 22 when the offence was committed.
He added that last year, Malaysia voted at the United Nations General Assembly in favour of imposing a moratorium on the capital punishment, pending the abolishment of the death penalty.
“Malaysia is already taking steps towards abolition, possibly first abolishing mandatory death penalty for offences including murder thus restoring discretion to judges when it comes to sentencing.
“The family and friends of the late Zulfarhan, whose body had burn marks and bruises, hopefully would understand that our values and principle call for forgiveness, not death by hanging for these young killers,” Hector stated.
