Deaf-mute man’s death penalty for quadruple murder upheld

The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya has upheld the death penalty for Kang Cheng Heng, a deaf and mute man, who was convicted of murdering his girlfriend's parents and two of their grandchildren in Tanjung Sepat on December 13, 2017. The victims, Chia Tee Nang, Lim Mai Sha, and their children Chia Zeng Xi and Chia Yuan Bin, were victims of sustained violence and a deliberate arson attack on their home.

During the trial, Kang's nephew, Chia Zeng Haol, testified that he witnessed his grandmother being repeatedly assaulted by Kang on the day of the murders, and that he himself was slashed twice on the neck by Kang. The High Court found Kang guilty of murder and sentenced him to death, as well as imposing a nine-year jail term for injuring the surviving nephew.

The appeal to challenge the conviction was dismissed, as the court did not accept Kang's defense that a third party or loan shark was responsible for setting the house on fire. Kang's lawyer, Jasmine Cheong, stated that her client would appeal the court's decision.