Murder charge for Singaporean in JB court over death of fellow citizen

JOHOR BAHRU, March 31 — A 25-year-old Singaporean man was charged in the Magistrate’s Court here today for the murder of a fellow countryman in Southkey here last month.

The accused, Muhammad Arif Saiyadi, understood the charge read out by the court interpreter, however no plea was recorded before Magistrate Nabilah Nizam.

According to the charge sheet, the man was charged with murder by causing the death of Chia Hon Chung, 32, at Persiaran Southkey 1, Kota Southkey here at 5.30am on March 14.

For the act, the accused was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder which provides for the death penalty upon conviction.

The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Aishah Latif, while the accused was unrepresented.

The court set June 3 for mention while awaiting the autopsy report, chemical analysis and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) results.

Meanwhile, in a separate Magistrate’s Court, another Singaporean man, Shahid Nazareen Shah Phul Bahar Hussain, 33, was fined RM1,700 or four months’ jail for intentionally causing injury to another man.

Magistrate Atifah Hazimah Wahab handed down the sentence after the accused pleaded guilty as soon as the charge was read out to him by the court interpreter.

The man was charged with causing injury to Mohamad Adam Haikal Zakaria, 26, at 4.30am in a toilet area at the same location on the same day.

The accused was charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntary causing hurt, which provides for a fine of up to RM2,000 or a maximum year’s imprisonment or both upon conviction.

The accused, who was unrepresented, requested a lower fine amount. However, Deputy Punloc Prosecutor Sarah Siti Aisyah Mustapha Kamal requested that the court impose a reasonable sentence that takes into account the injuries suffered by the victim.

Based on the facts of the case, at 4.30am on March 14, the accused met the victim in the toilet area near the location of the incident before a disagreement broke out.

The accused is said to have punched the victim in the right eye and was then arrested by the police at 12.15am on March 18.