Court of Appeal upholds 30‑year jail, 12 strokes for trader who hid step‑brother’s body in cement drum

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 15 — The Court of Appeal today upheld a 30-year prison sentence and 12 strokes of the cane for a former trader convicted of murdering his step-brother and hiding the body in a cement-filled drum. A three-judge panel unanimously rejected both the appellant's appeal against his conviction and the prosecution's appeal to seek the death penalty.

Justice Noorin Badaruddin stated that the High Court's sentence was appropriate and did not warrant any changes. She also ruled that the prosecution had successfully proven the intention for the murder, leaving no room to replace the conviction with culpable homicide under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code. The murder occurred on March 6, 2020, at their home in Alor Setar, Kedah, when police found the victim's body concealed in a blue plastic drum filled with cement outside the house.