A 37-year-old rubber estate worker has been sentenced to death over the April 2017 murder of his colleague in Mentakab, Pahang.
Mohamad Rosli Naqur Gani murdered his 60-year-old co-worker R. Devadas over a dispute in which the defendant alleged that the victim’s cooking wasn’t tasty. Police say the killing happened between 1:50am and 11:50am at a house on the Chuan Leng Rubber Estate on April 17, two years ago.
Rosli attacked his colleague using a wooden club and a sickle. The damage inflicted was enough to break Devadas ribs, causing internal bleeding and leading to his subsequent death. Fourteen witnesses to the crime were called to the stand over the course of the trial, eventually leading to the suspect being convicted of murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries a mandatory death sentence.
According to national newswire Bernama, the suspect appeared to remain calm as Judge Hassan Abd Ghani laid out the sentence. Ghani noted that the defense had been unable to raise any reasonable doubt over the suspect’s role in the crime.
The suspect’s lawyer had asked the judge for leniency, saying that Rosli had four children to care for and was only paid RM30 (US$7.50) a day working on the rubber estate. He added that the suspect regretted his fateful actions that day.
However, the public prosecutor’s calls for a severe sentence to set an example were heeded, with the judge meting out the maximum punishment with a death sentence.
Malaysia’s death penalty remains in limbo, however, after the government vowed to abolish it altogether following the 14th General Election. They appear to have since backed off from that ambition, instead choosing to only do away with mandatory death sentences, though some are still calling for outright abolition.
The death penalty is currently mandatory for murder, kidnapping, possession of firearms, and drug trafficking, but executions have been suspended while the matter is being debated by lawmakers.
