Man gets 35 years, 12 strokes of rotan for killing roti canai cook

Ridzuan Ahmad Zaini Logan, 37, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison and 12 strokes of the rotan for the brutal murder of Sirlin Salleh, a 36-year-old mother of five. The crime took place on November 14, 2023, in Kampung Pisang, Lahad Datu. Logan pleaded guilty to the charge before the Tawau High Court, following which Judge Steve Ritikos handed down the sentence.

According to the court, the victim was found half-naked around 8.15am, approximately 600 meters away from her home. She had been attacked with blunt force injuries to her head, multiple slash wounds to her neck, and injuries to her hands, suggesting that she had tried to defend herself. At the time of her death, Sirlin was believed to be on her way to work, having recently returned to her job six months after giving birth.

The forensic examination revealed that the attack was gruesome, cruel, and inhumane. It is alleged that the murderer sexually assaulted the victim before dragging her through the bushes, tying her mouth and slashing her throat. The court heard that Logan had entered a guilty plea, and his defense lawyer Kamarudin Chinki requested a 30-year term with 12 strokes of the rotan, acknowledging his client's remorse.

However, deputy public prosecutor Nur Nisla Abdul Latif argued for a more severe sentence, either the death penalty or a maximum 40-year jail term, citing the brutality of the crime. The judge ultimately decided on the 35-year prison sentence and 12 strokes of the rotan, effective from the date of Logan's arrest on November 17, 2023.