Johor student charged with the murder of Form Four classmate Irene Sofiya

A 16-year-old student at SMK Dato Seth in Yong Peng has been charged with the murder of his 16-year-old classmate, Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal, whose body was found inside the school hall on October 3, reports Batu Pahat's Magistrate's Court. The accused, whose identity remains protected by law as a minor, appeared before Magistrate Mustaqim Sukarno during a closed hearing and acknowledged the charge against him.

However, no plea was entered, as murder cases are tried in the High Court. The charge sheet alleges the crime occurred between 2:30pm and 4pm at Dewan Sri Tanjung, with the alleged offense under Section 302 of the Penal Code. Upon conviction, the accused could face the death penalty or a prison term of 30 to 40 years, coupled with a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.

Under Malaysian law, individuals under 18 at the time of the crime cannot be sentenced to death but may be detained at the discretion of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the respective state ruler.