SIBU, May 10: The High Court sentenced a plantation lorry driver to 30 years in prison with 12 strokes of whipping today, for the murder of his fellow Indonesian.
Judge Wong Siong Tung ordered the accused, Salahudin, 34, from Indonesia, to begin serving his sentence from the date of his arrest on April 17, 2021.
In delivering the verdict, Judge Wong cited the gravity of the offense, the circumstances surrounding the case, the necessity for deterrence in the interest of public safety, and the facts presented during the trial.
Salahudin was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
The court heard that on the morning of April 7, 2021, at an oil palm plantation in Mukah, Salahudin was preparing to leave for work when he was confronted by the deceased, Mukhlis, at their workers’ quarters.
Mukhlis accused Salahudin of preventing him from sleeping the previous night and alleged that Salahudin had cast black magic on him.
Despite Salahudin’s denials, Mukhlis persisted with the accusations.
Mukhlis then challenged Salahudin to take an oath at a nearby mosque to prove his innocence. Salahudin attempted to persuade Mukhlis to take the same oath.
Subsequently, Salahudin retrieved a machete from a nearby lorry and approached Mukhlis, who was seated on the staircase of the quarters.
There, Salahudin attacked Mukhlis with the parang as Mukhlis continued to provoke him. — DayakDaily
