SIBU: A shipyard worker has been sentenced to 30 years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane after being convicted of murdering his colleague two years ago.
Judge Wong Siong Tung, in passing the sentence on Thursday (July 18), also ordered the accused, Muh Sakkar Arakee, to serve the prison sentence from the date of his arrest on Oct 15, 2022.
Sakkar was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code with the killing of Hapil Jalam on Oct 14, 2022, between 10.30pm and 11pm at the worker's quarters in the Tanjung Manis Shipbuilding Industrial Zone.
Section 302 provides for the death penalty or imprisonment for up to 40 years, and if not sentenced to death, can be punished with a minimum of 12 lashes if convicted.
In his judgment, Wong said he found that the prosecution had succeeded in establishing a prima facie case against the accused.
The accused, who chose to testify under oath without calling other witnesses, claimed that he acted in self-defence, in addition to losing self-control due to provocation from the victim and a fight that ensued suddenly and without planning.
The court, however, rejected the accused's testimony, deeming it inconsistent and contradictory with his previous statements.
According to the facts of the case, at about 8pm on the day of the incident, the accused joined his friends for a drinking session in his room after finishing work.
After coming out of the toilet, the accused sat at a table outside his friend's room to rest when he saw the victim sitting at a table about 7m away, staring at him.
The accused thought the victim was dissatisfied with something and intended to challenge him.
During a confrontation, the victim punched the accused near his left eye, and in response, the accused stabbed the victim.
The victim then collapsed on the floor while the accused fled the scene and hid in a nearby forest until the next day before surrendering to the police.
The accused was represented by lawyer Ranbir Singh, while Deputy Public Prosecutor Mark Kenneth Netto prosecuted.
