KOTA KINABALU: A former MasterChef Malaysia finalist and her ex-husband have been sentenced to 34 years in prison each for the 2021 murder of their Indonesian domestic worker at a condominium in Penampang.
The High Court found Etiqah Siti Noorashikeen Sulang, 37, and contractor Mohammad Ambree Yunos, 44, guilty of killing 28-year-old Nur Afiyah Daeng Damin between Dec 8 and 11, 2021, at their Amber Tower residence.
Justice Lim Hock Leng ordered the jail terms to commence immediately. Ambree was also sentenced to 12 strokes of the cane, while Etiqah was exempted due to her gender.
The court ruled that the pair had acted with a common intention, with evidence showing the victim had suffered fatal injuries deliberately inflicted by both accused.
"The defence failed to raise reasonable doubt," Lim said in his judgment, adding that the prosecution had successfully proven that the victim's injuries were intentional and jointly caused.
The two were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of 30 to 40 years and not less than 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Dacia Jane Romanus had urged the court to impose the maximum sentence, saying the brutality of the case had shocked the nation.
"The deceased was a young woman who left her hometown for honest work amid the pandemic, but ended up losing her life at her workplace," Dacia said.
She also told the court that the maid suffered daily abuse and was denied her basic rights, including unpaid wages and the ability to return home.
