By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Sept 2: A man who set fires in two supermarkets in separate incidents last year in August was sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Sessions Court here today.
Rizam Zawawi, 33, from Kapit, pleaded guilty to two counts of committing mischief by fire when the charges were read before Judge Musli Abdul Hamid.
The first incident happened on August 17, 2024, around 3pm, at a supermarket along Jalan Liu Shan Bang, where he set fire to tissue and caused damage worth RM3,000.
Four days later, on August 21 at 8.30pm, he repeated the act at another supermarket in Batu Kawa, resulting in losses of RM1,072.60.
Both charges were framed under Section 435 of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of up to 14 years and a possible fine upon conviction.
Judge Musli sentenced Rizam to five years’ imprisonment for the first charge and seven years for the second, ordering the sentences to run consecutively from the date of his arrest on August 25 last year.
Case details revealed that Rizam’s modus operandi involved creating a distraction by setting fire to packages of tissues and disposable diapers with a lighter before attempting to steal items.
During the Batu Kawa incident, he managed to flee with a carton of Coca-Cola before store employees noticed.
CCTV footage from both locations captured his actions, leading to his arrest after a police report was filed.
Deputy public prosecutors Ruvinasini Pandian and Umi Syukriah Harun handled the case, while Rizam was unrepresented. — DayakDaily
