AG files appeal against life imprisonment on Filipinos

The Attorney-General's Chambers has filed an appeal against a decision by the Kota Kinabalu High Court in imposing a life imprisonment on nine Filipinos convicted in the Lahad Datu intrusion case.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali said the notice of appeal was filed last July 27, a day after the punishment was meted out by Judge Stephen Chung on grounds that the punishment did not commensurate with the offence committed.

"The law provides death sentence for the offence. So, we will appeal for them to be imposed the death sentence, or at least on their leader," he told reporters when met after opening the annual prosecutor conference here today.

The conference, attended by 465 deputy public prosecutors nationwide, was held at the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Convention centre here.

Last July 26, Chung sentence the nine Filipinos to life imprisonment after finding them guilty of waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The are Atik Hussin Abu Bakar, 45, Basad H.Manuel, 41, Ismail Yasin, 76, Virgilio Nemar Patulada @ Mohammad Alam Patulada, 52, Salib Akhmad Emali, 63, Al Wazir Osman, 61, Tani Lahaddahi, 63, Julham Rashid, 69 and Datu Amir Bahar Hushin Kiram, 53.

In another development, Mohamed Apandi said he welcomed the establishment of the Special Cyber Court, which would begin operation on Sept 1, as it could expedite disposal of cyber-related cases, which currently took up to a year.

"We will also study the need to set up a cyber unit, but as of now, we already have a deputy public prosecutor at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, as well as the Commercial and Cyber Unit, which is headed by Abdul Rashid Daud.

"We will also provide training to existing deputy public prosecutors to enhance their knowledge and skills relating to cyber laws," he added.

He said the Attorney-General's Chambers would also give advice to the police on cyber offences as they were among offences that were difficult to proof.

Meanwhile, in his speech, Mohamed Apandi emphasised the importance of integrity, especially among deputy public prosecutors, and would not hesitate to take action against the corrupt ones.

"Let us not open the doors to any quarters to tarnish the good name of the Attorney-General's Chambers," he added.

He said they should be prepared to face whatever challenges and threats that come with the job and to emulate Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais, who died while doing his job.