PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court has upheld the conviction of a 62-year-old man who shot and killed his best friend during an outburst at a temple five years ago.
A three-judge panel, chaired by Justice Rhodzariah Bujang, unanimously dismissed Ong Chow Lee’s appeal after hearing submissions.
“We dismiss the appeal as there is no merit to it,” she said. Other judges on the panel were Justices Lee Swee Seng and P. Ravinthran.
Earlier, Ong’s lawyer Ahmad Ridzuan Awang submitted to the court that the Kuala Terengganu High Court, which accepted Ong’s guilty plea, had erred when it failed to explain the nature and consequences of the accused’s guilty plea.
He said the notes of proceedings recorded that the High Court offered a Chinese translator for the accused, who however chose to hear the two charges under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder and Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder in Bahasa Malaysia.
Ahmad Ridzuan said the failure to explain was a “misdirection” by the court.
Deputy public prosecutor Eyu Ghim Siang argued that the guilty plea by Ong had clearly adhered to procedure.
“Based on the notes of proceedings, there was no force nor misdirection that could warrant intervention by this court.
“The accused was represented by lawyers at the material time and he had chosen to plead guilty to the charges and this guilty plea was accepted by law,” he said.
On July 9, 2024, Ong, who was a former member of Malaysian Volunteer Corps (Rela), was sentenced to 30 years in prison for murdering Fong Swee Fuan, then 65, in an argument at a temple.
He was also sentenced to 13 years in jail for the attempted murder of the victim’s nephew, Teo Hock Beng, who was shot in his left hand.
Both offences were committed by the accused behind a Chinese temple in Taman Raya Wakaf Tapai, Marang, between 1.20pm and 1.55pm on July 23, 2021.
Ong appealed the decision and wanted a retrial for his case, claiming that he was misled by his former lawyers into pleading guilty and that he would only receive a 15-year jail term.
Ong said the court should have provided him with a Mandarin interpreter instead.
His appeal was shot down at the Court of Appeal in Sept 2025, and he then filed an appeal at the Federal Court.
