PUTRAJAYA, July 24 — The Court of Appeal yesterday sentenced to death six former Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) students for the murder of navy cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain seven years ago.
The sentence was meted out after a three-judge panel, led by Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail, allowed the prosecution’s cross-appeal to reinstate a charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code initially faced by all of the accused.
The six accused were Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Azamuddin Mad Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat, Mohamad Shobirin Sabri, and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali.
The chronology of Zulfarhan’s murder case is as follows:
June 1, 2017
— Zulfarhan, 21, dies at Serdang Hospital with swelling and burns on his body. Police detain 36 UPNM and Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten) students to assist investigations.
June 2, 2017
— Zulfarhan’s remains are buried at the Kebun Teh Muslim Cemetery, Johor Bahru at 9.30pm.
June 5, 2017
— UPNM in a statement says it is sure investigations into the death of Zulfarhan, who is believed to have been tortured, will be carried out in a professional and transparent manner.
June 9, 2017
— The remand period for 32 UPNM students is extended from June 10 to 14, while four Uniten students are released on police bail.
[caption id="attachment_365200" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Zulkarnain Idros, 60, and Hawa Osman, 61, parents of Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, prostrate in gratitude after the Court of Appeal upheld a death sentence imposed on six former UPNM students for Zulfarhan’s murder in 2017, at the Palace of Justice, Putrajaya, on July 23, 2024. — Picture by BERNAMA[/caption]
June 14, 2017
— Nineteen UPNM students plead not guilty at the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court on charges of voluntarily causing hurt to Zulfarhan.
— Six students are charged with murdering and abetting in the death of Zulfarhan.
September 15, 2017
— The case against the six UPNM students charged with the murder of Zulfarhan is transferred to the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
October 27, 2017
— The prosecution appeals that the case against 19 other UPNM students be transferred to the High Court and heard together with the six charged for Zulfarhan’s murder.
November 10, 2017
— Six UPNM students charged with murdering Zulfarhan claim trial at the High Court.
November 13, 2017
— The High Court allows the prosecution’s appeal for the 19 UPNM students case to be heard together with Zulfarhan’s murder case.
December 8, 2017
— The trial for the 19 UPNM students who were charged with murdering and abetting the murder of Zulfarhan is fixed for 14 days starting January 29, 2018.
January 29, 2018
— Proceedings on the first day of the murder case are heard by High Court judge Datuk Azman Abdullah.
July 8, 2019
— The High Court sets July 31 to decide on the case against the 19 UPNM students who were charged with murdering and abetting the murder of Zulfarhan, after the prosecution called 29 witnesses.
July 31, 2019
— The High Court orders 18 UPNM students to enter their defence for allegedly murdering Zulfarhan and voluntarily causing grievous hurt to the victim, while another student is acquitted of charges of injuring the victim.
[caption id="attachment_365201" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain pictured with his parents, Zulkarnain Idros and Hawa Osman 61. — Picture via FACEBOOK[/caption]
April 1, 2021
— Twenty defence witnesses, including the 18 accused, give their statements in High Court.
April 8, 2021
— The defence closes its case.
July 28, 2021
— Final submissions in the case of the 18 UPNM students charged with murdering and abetting in the murder of Zulfarhan was set for September 29 and 30, 2021.
September 30, 2021
— High Court judge Datuk Azman Abdullah hears final submissions from the prosecution and defence, and sets November 2, 2021 for the decision.
November 2, 2021
— The High Court finds six defendants guilty of causing injury to Zulfarhan with intent, but without the intention to kill.
— The High Court sentences the 12 other students to three years’ jail.
November 3, 2021
— The Attorney-General’s Chambers submits an appeal over the High Court’s decision against the 18-year prison sentence handed to the six UPNM students convicted of causing the death of Zulfarhan, without intent to kill.
— The Court of Appeal sets July 23 for a decision on the appeal.
July 23, 2024
— Six UPNM students are sentenced to death by the Court of Appeal for the murder of Zulfarhan seven years ago.
— The Court of Appeal overturned the 18-year prison sentence imposed by the High Court on six defendants and replaced it with the death sentence.
— The three-judge panel also overturned the three-year prison sentences imposed on 12 other former students of the same university for injuring Zulfarhan to four years of imprisonment.
— Bernama
