KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — Two friends had their jail sentences increased from three years to seven years each by the High Court here today for committing gang robbery at a convenience store while being armed with a knife, last year.

Judge Datuk Azman Abdullah also ordered Adly Azman, 26, and Aszrul Nizam Zainal Badol Hizam, 24, to receive three strokes of the rotan each.

Azman made the decision after allowing the appeal by the prosecution represented by deputy public prosecutors Nurakmal Farhan Aziz and Aznika Mohd Anas against the decision of the Sessions Court which had sentenced both men to three years’ jail.

"The minimum punishment for carrying a weapon alone is five years in jail, what’s more for carrying and using the weapon to commit a robbery,” said the judge who also ordered the two men to serve the jail sentence from March 15, the date they were sentenced by the Sessions Court.

The two men pleaded guilty to robbing a Bangladesh cashier, Md Abu Satter, 22, by taking RM386.70 in cash, a cell phone, a piece of chocolate, an ice cream, a personal digital aid (PDA) unit, 186 boxes of different types of cigarettes valued at RM8,055.60 at the KK Mart, Jalan Suasa Pekan, Sg Besi, Cheras, here at 4am on August 22, 2017.

They were charged under Section 395/397 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same Code that provides for a maximum jail term of 20 years and may also include whipping. — Bernama