Written by Shazrina Sofia
Edited by Aleeya Balqis
Zulfarhan’s parents, expressing their gratitude for the Court of Appeal’s verdict | Credit: Auzaee Athallah/UtusanTV
KUALA LUMPUR, 30th July 2024: After seven long years, the Court of Appeal finally delivered its final verdict for Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain’s murder case: all six of the deceased’s murderers are to be sentenced to death by hanging.
The six perpetrators of the crime, also former students of the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM): Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Azamuddin Mad Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat, Mohamad Shobirin Sabri and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali, now aged 28, were previously only sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment.
However, upon receiving the prosecution’s appeal on 23rd July 2024, the Court of Appeal had declared that the aforementioned six are to be sentenced to death for their crimes of assaulting and torturing Zulfarhan. The six perpetrators of the crime had injured Zulfarhan with a hot steam iron, leaving 90 burn marks all over his body except his face due to a false claim that Zulfarhan had stolen Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal’s missing laptop.
Zulfarhan’s condition declined rapidly as his six perpetrators isolated and deprived him of the medical attention he needed for his fatal injuries, which eventually led to his death on 1st June 2017– Zulfarhan was pronounced dead at the Serdang Hospital. According to the 93-page judgment by judges Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail, Mohamed Zaini Mazlan and Datuk Azmi Ariffin:
“Kes sebegini paling jarang ditemui daripada kes-kes yang pernah berlaku atau ‘rarest of the rare’. Ia melibatkan jenayah kekejaman yang amat berbahaya kepada masyarakat, perbuatan zalim sebegini harus dihentikan.” (“This case is one in a million when compared to cases that had occurred previously, or ‘rarest of the rare’. This case includes vicious cruelty that is a threat to the community, and this must be stopped.”)
The Court of Appeal’s verdict has received mixed responses, including SUHAKAM’s (The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia) objection and support from the MCPF (Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation). May Zulfarhan rest in peace, and sincerest condolences to his family. —TBC
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