Federal Court upholds death sentence on two followers of "Tuhan Harun"

PUTRAJAYA: Two followers of "Tuhan Harun" are to be hanged for the murder of an assistant director of the Pahang Islamic Religion Department (JAIP) in 2013.

This decision follows the unanimous decision today by a five-member Federal Court to dismiss Sumustapha Suradi and Shamsinar Abdul Halim's final appeals and uphold their convictions and the death penalty.

Chief Justice Richard Malanjum, who led the proceedings, found that the duo's appeals were unfounded.

The other judges of the court were the president of the Court of Appeal, Ahmad Maarop, and the judges of the Federal Court, Azahar Mohamed, Alizatul Khair Osman Khairuddin and Rohana Yusuf.

Sumustapha, 43, and Shamsinar, 41, were sent to the gallows by the Kuantan High Court in 2016 after being convicted of the murder of Ahmad Raffli Abd Malek, deputy chief executive of the division of Kuantan. 39, execution of the religious department of Pahang Islamic.

The 49-year-old officer was shot dead outside his home in Bandar Indera Mahkota, Kuantan, on November 10, 2013.

The duo lost their appeals before the court of appeal on February 8th.

Harun Mat Saat, a cult leader, better known as "Tuhan Harun," was also charged with conspiracy to murder.

However, the charges against him were dropped on August 26, 2016, after his death at Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan on August 16, 2016, as a result of breathing problems.

Lawyer Iskandar Shah Ibrahim represented the duo, while Deputy Attorney General, Ku Hayati Ku Haron, appeared against him.

The last option left for the two men is now to petition the Pardon for pardon.