The Court of Appeal upheld the previous 36-year prison sentence and 12 strokes of the cane for five men convicted of stabbing Mohd Shahrulanuar Dek Der to death in a swampy area at Kampung Pengkalan Nyireh, Kampung Raja, Besut on June 21, 2017 [1, 2].
The five convicted men are Aizz Amidie Aziz (32), brothers Mohd Rizalman Awang (36) and Zahaman Fairol (39), and brothers Mohd Uwais Mat Nawi (31) and Mohd Hafify (30) [1, 2]. The men were convicted under Section 302 of the Penal Code read with Section 34 for murder [1, 2].
The Court of Appeal dismissed their attempt to overturn convictions and sentences originally handed down by the Kuala Terengganu High Court on May 9, 2024 [1, 2]. Three men—Aizz Amidie, Mohd Rizalman, and Zahaman—are to serve their sentences starting from their arrest date, July 11, 2017. The two brothers were backdated to begin serving on August 11, 2017 [1, 2].
The victim, 22 years old at the time, was killed between 4:40 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on June 21, 2017. The murder stemmed from a dispute linked to the burning of a motorcycle belonging to a relative [1, 2].
The Court upheld the testimony of prosecution witnesses, including a protected eyewitness who hid in bushes during the incident and provided detailed accounts. Justice Azman Abdullah noted, “The witness’s refusal to answer certain questions that could reveal his identity did not affect the prosecution’s case. The trial judge was also satisfied that the testimony was supported by other prosecution witnesses” [1].
The defence’s claims that another individual had committed the stabbing were dismissed by the trial judge as afterthoughts [1, 2]. Defence counsel's request to reduce the sentence to 30 years was rejected, with the deputy public prosecutor arguing for the full 36-year term to serve as a deterrent [1, 2].
The Court of Appeal's ruling on June 8, 2026, confirmed the punishment set by the High Court nearly two years ago [2].
