{
  "id": 18054679,
  "title": "Da'i Syed's final appeal against rape conviction to be decided today",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/dai-syeds-final-appeal-against-rape-conviction-to-be-decided-today",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-04T02:25:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/11/1570328/dai-syeds-final-appeal-against-rape-conviction-be-decided-today"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal here is scheduled to deliver its decision today on celebrity preacher Da'i Syed's final appeal to set aside his conviction and 10-year prison sentence and three strokes of the cane for rape.",
  "key_points": [
    "Court of Appeal to decide Da i Syed's final appeal today",
    "Accused Syed Shah Iqmal Syed Mohd Shaiful, 31, in rape case",
    "Convicted in 2020 for raping woman in I-City condominium"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The finality of this appellate decision will determine whether the high court's reversal of a previous acquittal stands or if the defendant will serve his full ten-year prison sentence.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Appeals court acquits Da’i Syed of rape charge",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/appeals-court-acquits-dai-syed-of-rape-charge",
        "published": "2026-11-04T03:05:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}