76-year-old loses final appeal against rape conviction

The Court of Appeal has refused a 76-year-old man's final appeal against his 15-year jail term for raping an eight-year-old girl in 2018. The convicted individual, Ramli Mat, will continue serving his sentence at an unnumbered house in the Arau district of Perlis, where the offense occurred between 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM on December 17, 2018.

The Court of Appeal unanimously decided to uphold the High Court's decision, led by Justice Noorin Badaruddin, who stated there was no reason to overturn the earlier convictions and sentencing. Deputy public prosecutor Eyu Ghim Siang presented the case, noting the victim's identification of Ramli as the perpetrator and corroborating medical findings.

The defense argued that the case rested on mere denial, but the lawyers emphasized the insufficient medical evidence to establish Ramli as the perpetrator. They also urged the court to reduce the sentence due to Ramli's advanced age. However, Eyu Ghim Siang maintained that the jail term was consistent with sentencing trends for such cases and informed the court about the possibility of Ramli being exempt from whipping if medically unfit or if he filed a subsequent exemption application.