Judge to cane robber in court

KUALA LUMPUR: In a rare court ruling, a sales promoter who admitted to armed robbery was ordered to be caned 10 times in the court premises. And the judge himself will do the caning.

Sessions Court judge Zainal Abidin Kamarudin ordered Muhammad Syafiq Abd Wahab, 20, to be caned in the presence of his parents.

The judge said he would personally cane Muhammad Syafiq on July 15 using canes supplied by the court.

Zainal Abidin said 10 light canes (rotan) were to be used to carry out the sentence as provided for under the Criminal Procedure Code for youthful offenders.

He also ordered Muhammad Syafiq to carry out 200 hours of community service.

Turning to the parents, the judge told the father, pensioner Abd Wahab Jonit, 64, that the offence was rarely passed by court but urged him to accept it.

“I know it is not a nice feeling for a father to watch his son being caned but it has to be done by a judge,” he said.

Zainal Abidin then urged Muhammad Syafiq to seek forgiveness from his father.

The youth, though, merely stared at the judge.

Muhammad Syafiq admitted to robbing student Muhammad Fitri Muhammad Zamzuri, 16, of his identity card and cell phone while armed with a knife.

He committed the offence with another friend still at large near the football stadium in Cheras at 1.30am on Nov 16 last year.

According to the facts, two men on a motorcycle approached Fitri, who was with two friends and demanded they surrender their belongings to them.

Muhammad Syafiq, who was riding pillion, also asked if they had any drugs with them before slapping Fitri and kicking his friend on the face. He also pointed a knife at them.

Just then, four military and religious officers on an anti-vice operation came to the students’ aid and arrested Muhammad Syafiq.

Earlier, Zainal Abidin ticked off Muhammad Syafiq when he heard his confession, saying he had chosen bad friends.

Welfare officer Muhd Razmee Abdul Razak, who tendered a probation report for Muhammad Syafiq, recommended that the youth be given a community service sentence saying that 80% of those who went through such a sentence showed progress in their attitude.

Source: The Star Online