JOHOR BARU: Three individuals have been charged at two separate Magistrate Courts here for allegedly murdering a woman in Skudai last month.
The accused Soo Siau Soon, 31, Heng Tang Lee, 48 and C. Susila, 45, have five charges between them for their alleged involvement in the murder of 42-year-old Tian Hau Khee.
Earlier, Soo nodded after the charge was read to him in Mandarin before Magistrate Hidayatul Syuhada Shamsudin here on Wednesday (Jan 22).
However, no plea was recorded as the case is under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
He was charged with murdering Tian in front of a Hindu temple at Batu 8 1/2 in Skudai here at around 12.50am on Dec 1, 2024.
The charge, framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code, provides the death sentence or imprisonment between 30 and 40 years and a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.
Hidayatul Syuhada then set March 6 for the case's next mention.
In another Magistrate Court, Heng and Susila were both jointly charged with conspiring in the victim’s murder at the same time and location.
No plea was also recorded from both Heng and Susila after the charge was read out to them in Mandarin in front of Magistrate A. Shaarmini.
The two accused were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which was read together with Section 109 of the same Act.
No plea was recorded from either of the accused.
Meanwhile, in the same court, Heng claimed trial to two charges of throwing a scissor blade into a swamp and possessing a gun without a valid license.
He allegedly committed the two offences at a swamp area near Taman Tampoi Utama at around 3.40pm on Jan 15 this year.
For the offences, he was charged under Section 201 of the Penal Code, which provides imprisonment not more than seven years and a fine upon conviction.
Heng was also charged under Section 8(a) of the Firearms Act 1960, which provides imprisonment of not more than seven years, a fine of not more than RM10,000 or both upon conviction.
Shaarmini then set March 19 for the case’s next mention, pending chemical and autopsy reports.
Deputy public prosecutors Siti Aishah Latif and Nik Noratini Nik Azman prosecuted the two cases respectively, while the three accused were not represented.