Killer accepts court’s decision, says he’s not afraid

SHAH ALAM: Ahmad Najib Aris considers his death sentence passed by the High Court a “test” for him and that he would “take it as a challenge”. 

“I accept the court’s decision,” the 29-year-old said with a smile after the court sentenced him to death for the murder of Canny Ong. 

Ahmad Najib, who has a young wife and two children aged two and one, said he was not afraid to face the sentence, adding: “I feel normal. I have actually expected the outcome.” 

However, Ahmad Najib, who is a second child of four siblings, also quipped: “We shall meet again at another time,” indicating that he was appealing against the decision. 

Earlier, before the sentence was handed down, Ahmad Najib told reporters that he had not been sleeping well as he had been plagued with thoughts about his judgment day. 

“I could not sleep. I just kept thinking about my fate,” the Form Three dropout said. 

The court was told during mitigation that Ahmad Najib, who is from Muar, came to Kuala Lumpur in 1998. 

He was said to have started work at the age of 15 as a labourer to support his family and his lawyer described him as a “very hardworking man”.  

Although Ahmad Najib was convicted of a heinous crime, there were some who saw him in a different light. 

His former employer, Mohd Zainuri Yusoff, 34, regarded Ahmad Najib as a person of good character.  

“I have known him since he started work with us in 2000. He began as an aircraft cleaner and we later promoted him to be a team leader,” said Mohd Zainuri yesterday. 

He said Ahmad Najib was a responsible person and could be trusted to carry out his duties. 

“Ahmad Najib would just do anything as instructed. He would try to settle the problems among the cleaners before resorting to see me,” he said, adding that the other employees had never complained to him about Ahmad Najib. 

Mohd Zainuri said he was shocked when he found that Ahmad Najib was detained for rape and murder. 

“I came to court to see him personally when the trial began,” he said. 

A friend of Ahmad Najib’s, who works with Malaysia Airlines, said she was sorry for his family, adding: “He is a nice person.” 

Court interpreter Norazrah Ahmadiah said she was horrified when she handled the court exhibits for the case. 

“I felt sad for the victim when I produced her things in court,” said Norazrah, who with another court interpreter, R. Maheswary, showed exhibits to prosecution witnesses during the high-profile trial. 

Among the 145 exhibits produced in court during the trial were a piece of muslin cloth used to strangle Canny, her jeans, her hairs, her vagina swab and a bloodstained portion of a car cushion.  

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