2 beradik antara 4 didakwa bunuh lelaki di ladang sawit

Four men, including two brothers, are facing murder charges in Sungai Petani Magistrate Court for allegedly killing a man in a palm oil plantation area of Kampung Sungai Division, last month. Bakri Mahidin, 37, and his brother Muhamadariff Mahidin, 26, along with Iekram Mohd Zaki, 29, and Firdaus Che Mustafa, 36, protested their guilt after the charges were read before Magistrate Noor Farah Hazwani Osman.

No pleas of guilty were recorded from all the accused, with two of them working as laborers and the other two as safety guards and vehicle cleaners, as the case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court. According to the charges, the four were jointly accused of murdering Badaruddin Md Nayan, 30, in the palm oil plantation area of Kampung Sungai Division between 1:30 pm and 3 pm, on August 23rd last year.

The charges were brought under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read with Section 34 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which prescribe the death penalty or imprisonment for 30 to 40 years, and a minimum of 12 counts, if found guilty. Counsel was provided by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Hazwani Mohd Noor, while Durratul 'Ain Mahmud Morshidi acted as amicus curiae to inform the court about the medical needs of two accused.

Durratul 'Ain revealed that Iekram is a physically disabled person with a chronic injury on her right leg due to an accident, while Bakri suffers from asthma. She said both accused require medical attention for the anticipated lengthy trial. Magistrate Noor Farah Hazwani then confirmed the medical needs of both accused will be handled by the prison authorities.

The court also did not allow bail for all the accused and set November 15th as the next hearing date. Earlier, media reported the discovery of a man's body, believed to be around 30 years old, allegedly killed in Kampung Sungai Division, here, on August 23rd.