Six former UPNM students sentenced to death for Zulfarhan's murder

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal today imposed the death sentence on six former students of Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) for the murder of Navy Cadet Officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain seven years ago.

The sentence was meted out after a three-judge panel led by Judge Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail, allowed the prosecution's cross-appeal to reinstate Section 302 of the Penal Code initially faced by all the accused.

The accused 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.

Delivering the unanimous decision, Judge Hadhariah stated that the High Court judge had erred in amending the original murder charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code to Section 304 (a) of the Penal Code.

"Therefore, the court allows the prosecution's appeal to set aside the amended charge and reinstate Section 302 of the Penal Code," she said, sitting alongside Judges Mohamed Zaini Mazlan and Datuk Azmi Ariffin.