Judgement describes Zulfarhan's murder as rare and extreme form of cruelty

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal today ruled that the murder case of Navy Cadet Officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain from seven years ago represents one of the rarest and most extreme forms of cruelty, and it will not tolerate such crimes.

Judge Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail, who led the three-judge panel, delivered a 93-page judgment for over three hours, stating that no parent could fail to feel disappointment, anger, sadness, and grief upon receiving their beloved child's body in such a heart-wrenching and tragic condition.

"This case is among the rarest of the rare, involving extreme cruelty that poses a grave danger to society, and such inhumane acts must be stopped.

"The court will not tolerate such incidents. What parent can bear the suffering of seeing their beloved child tortured in such a way that leads to their death in such a horrifying state?" she said, sitting with Judges Mohamed Zaini Mazlan and Datuk Azmi Ariffin.

The court imposed the death penalty on six former students of Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) for the murder of Zulfarhan, after allowing the prosecution's cross-appeal to reinstate their initial murder charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

The six former students, now aged 28, are Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Azamuddin Mad Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat, Mohamad Shobirin Sabri, and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali.