Court of Appeal acquits Da’i Syed of rape charge

The Court of Appeal in Kuala Lumpur is set to announce its decision today on Da i Syed's final appeal to overturn his conviction for rape and his 10-year prison sentence. The three-member panel, chaired by Datuk Azman Abdullah, will hear the final appeal from Da i Syed, whose real name is Syed Shah Iqmal Syed Mohd Shaiful, 31. Arriving at the court wearing a white robe, the accused was accompanied by his wife, Hana Ismail, at 8:55am on the day of the hearing.

In December 2020, Da i Syed pleaded not guilty to the rape of a 23-year-old woman in a condominium room in I-City, Section 7, at 1:35am on September 11, 2019. The charge was under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code, which allows for a maximum 20-year jail term and whipping upon conviction. On April 10, 2023, Da i Syed was acquitted and discharged by the Shah Alam Sessions Court after the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case.

However, the High Court later allowed the prosecution's appeal, ordering Da i Syed to enter his defence. Sentencing him to ten years in prison and three strokes of the cane on August 30, 2024, Sessions Court judge Adlin Abdul Majid ordered his immediate imprisonment. After spending 21 days at Kajang Prison, Da i Syed was temporarily released pending the hearing of his main appeal.