Four charged with Ying Xin’s murder

JOHOR BARU: Four suspects including three teenagers were charged at the magistrate’s court here with the kidnap and murder of 16-year-old Lai Ying Xin.

They were produced in a courtroom packed with people including relatives and friends of the murder victim.

Only hairstylist Teh Kim Hong, 22, was produced at the dock for the charge, while the other three - a 17-year-old and two 16-year-olds - remained standing by the side of the courtroom.

In the first charge, they allegedly intentionally murdered Ying Xin between 9.45pm on Sept 11 and 12am on Sept 12 at Lot 2841, Jalan Alor, Bukit Kulai in Kulai Jaya.

They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which carries the death penalty upon conviction.

In the second charge, they were alleged to have kidnapped Ying Xin at around 9.45pm in front of a hypermarket along Jalan Kulai-Air Hitam in Kulai Jaya with the intention of demanding a ransom of RM60,000.

Under Section 3 of the Kidnapping Act 1961, Act 365 and Section 34 of the Penal Code, those found guilty of kidnapping can be sentenced to death or face life imprisonment. If not sentenced to death, they can be caned.

When the charges were read out in Mandarin, all four suspects nodded their heads to signal they understood the charge.

No plea was recorded for either charge.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib prosecuted.

Magistrate Nor Shahid Abd Malik set Dec 10 for mention pending the chemist and post mortem reports.