PUTRAJAYA: A former contractor, who was convicted of an armed robbery 22 years ago, had his natural life imprisonment term commuted to a 30-year jail sentence today by the Federal Court.
Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who chaired a three-member bench, ordered Rosman Abdul Rashid’s jail term to begin from March 9, 2002.
Justices Abu Bakar Jais and Rhodzariah Bujang were the other judges who heard the matter which had come before the apex court following the abolition of the mandatory death penalty last year.
Rosman’s case was brought up under the Revision of the Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of the Federal Court) Act 2023.
However, defence lawyer Nazreen Jaafar Abdullah said Rosman should be freed from jail today, taking into account the one-third remission given to prisoners for good behaviour.
He said Rosman, 60, had already been given the six strokes of the rotan imposed after the Court of Appeal dismissed his final appeal in June 2011.
According to the facts of the case, he had fired two shots from a pistol towards Siti Khadijah Hassan during the incident to rob her car in front of a shoe factory at Jalan Kapar, in Klang, at about 9.50pm, on March 8, 2002.
On March 30, 2007, the sessions court in Klang convicted him and sentenced him to imprisonment for life with six strokes of the cane.
Under the new Act, those found guilty of discharging firearms during a robbery can be sentenced to up to 40 years in jail, and males below the age of 50 can be whipped a minimum of six times and a maximum of 24 times. Previously, they could be sentenced to death or natural life imprisonment.
Nazreen, who was assisted by counsel T Shashi Devan and Liau Pin Chun, urged the bench to impose a minimum jail term as Rosman had spent 22 years in prison.
Deputy public prosecutor Khusyairy Ibrahim pressed for a deterrent sentence on grounds of public interest. - FMT
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