Trio gets life imprisonment, whipping for kidnapping Dutch boy

Judge Kamardin Hashim handed down the sentenced to Chong Tat Siong, 27, Foong Khar Fai, 22, and Lee Phak Seng, 27, after finding that the defence had failed to raise a reasonable doubt against the prosecution's case.

In his judgment, he said the Netherlands was a civil law country that did not practise death penalty for all crimes, but on average, kidnap and murder convicts would be sentenced to an average of 11 years in jail.

"I'm giving the example because the victim is a Dutch, but in this country (Malaysia), kidnapping is a serious offence and there are only two options of punishment for the convicts, death penalty or life imprisonment and whipping.

"After considering all aspects, I hereby sentence the trio to life imprisonment from the date of their arrest and six strokes of the rotan each," he said.

A mobile phone salesman, Chong, unemployed Foong and self-employed Lee were arrested on May 7, 8 and 10, 2012, respectively.

They were charged under Section 3 of the Kidnapping Act 1961 with kidnapping the then 12-year-old boy in front of the Mont Kiara International School, Jalan Kiara 1, Mont Kiara, at 7.30am on April 27, 2012.

The boy was found safe at the rest stop in Rawang with cash of RM50 on May 3.

A total of 29 prosecution witnesses and five defence witnesses were called throughout the trial which began on April 15, 2013.