KUALA LUMPUR: An unemployed man was sentenced by the High Court to 40 years in prison and 24 strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to the brutal murder of his parents, whose bloodied bodies were discovered in their home in Kampung Sungai Penchala in 2023.
Judge K. Muniandy, who meted out the punishment on Afendi Muhammad Agus @ Muhamed Ali, 44, also ordered that the jail term begin from the date of his arrest on Dec 9, 2023.
The judge said the court took into consideration the gravity of the offence, noting that it involved the loss of two lives – the accused’s own parents.
“The punishment is in the form of deterrence. The guilty plea of the accused shows his remorse. Whatever the reason, the accused did not have the right to murder his parents.
“Therefore, the court sentenced him to 40 years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane for each charge and the sentences to run concurrently,” said Muniandy, reported Bernama.
Earlier, senior investigating officer of the Criminal Investigation Division at the Brickfields district police headquarters, Asst Supt Mohd Hasni Hussin, presented 73 exhibits to the court, including a knife, a wooden table and several items of clothing.
During mitigation, lawyer Mohd Ruzaini Zulkifli, representing Afendi, appealed for a prison sentence with a maximum of 12 strokes of the cane, on the grounds that the accused had pleaded guilty, despite legal advice to reconsider his plea.
“This demonstrates that the accused is remorseful and has the potential for rehabilitation. As a result of this incident, the accused has lost all familial support; his siblings and relatives have cut ties with him. This emotional and social isolation, in itself, is a form of punishment.”
He further argued that there was no indication the accused had planned the attack or possessed any motive to kill his parents.
“The events leading up to the incident suggest a sudden misunderstanding, rather than a deliberate, premeditated act,” the lawyer added.
Deputy public prosecutor Izalina Abdullah argued that two lives were lost without justification, lives belonging to the very individuals who raised the accused.
“We may never know what drove the accused to take such drastic action against his own parents.
“Taking a single life is already a grave crime, but in this case, the accused took the lives of both his parents – one of whom gave birth to him and both of whom nurtured him since childhood,” she said.
Given the severity of the crime, Izalina contended that the death penalty was warranted.
“If the death penalty is not imposed, it must still be acknowledged that the accused is already bearing the consequences of his actions. His relatives have shunned him and even the investigating officer testified that he has been ostracised by his own family,” she added.
Afendi was charged with murdering his parents Muhammad Agus @ Muhamed Ali Omar, 82, and Darlisma Njatu Saleh, 72, at their home in Kampung Sungai Penchala on Dec 9, 2023 around 7.10pm and 7.20pm.
The media previously reported that the couple was found dead with multiple stab wounds in their living room following an altercation with their son.
