PUTRAJAYA: An odd-job worker will serve 25 years in jail with 24 strokes of the rotan for raping his stepdaughter in 2015.
The 41-year-old man initially appealed to the Court of Appeal, seeking a reduced prison term, but withdrew his appeal on Friday (May 5).
This was after Justice Datuk Seri Kamaludin Md Said, who led a three-member bench, told the man that the 25-year jail term was reasonable as he had five rape charges and would serve the sentences concurrently.
Justice Kamaludin told him that the maximum jail term imposed under the law for such an offence is 30 years, and the court could order him to serve the jail terms consecutively which means he would be in prison longer.
Standing in the dock in blue prison uniform, the man then told the court that he wished to withdraw the appeal against his jail sentence. He was unrepresented.
Justice Kamaludin, who presided with Justices Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim and Datuk Azman Abdullah, then struck out the appeal.
On Feb 27, 2019, the Kluang Sessions Court found the man guilty of five rape charges involving his 13-year-old stepdaughter and sentenced him to 25 years in jail and 10 strokes of the rotan for each charge.
The court ordered the prison terms to run concurrently from the date of his arrest, Oct 19, 2015.
His appeal to reduce the jail term was dismissed by the Muar High Court on Oct 14, 2020. – Bernama
