BATU PAHAT, Oct 15 — A 16-year-old schoolboy was charged in the Magistrate's Court here today with the murder of his classmate, Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal, whose body was discovered inside a secondary school hall in Yong Peng earlier this month.

The accused, a Form Four student at the same school, nodded in understanding when the capital charge was read out to him before Magistrate Mustaqim Sukarno during a closed-door proceeding.

No plea was recorded from the teenager, whose identity is protected by law as a minor, because murder cases fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

According to the charge sheet, the accused is alleged to have murdered 16-year-old Irene Sofiya in Dewan Sri Tanjung at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dato' Seth in Yong Peng between 2.30pm and 4.00pm on Oct 3.

The charge was framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code. Upon conviction, the offence carries the death penalty or a prison sentence of between 30 and 40 years, along with a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.

Under Malaysian law, offenders under the age of 18 at the time of the offence cannot be sentenced to death, but may be detained at the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the respective state Ruler.

MORE TO COME