Appeals Court upholds death sentences of Klang Valley couple in 2020’s Sibu ‘suitcase murder’

KUCHING (March 10): The Court of Appeal has upheld the death sentences imposed on the Klang Valley couple involved in the 2020 Sibu ‘suitcase murder’.

A three-member panel led by Justice Datuk Wong Kian Kheong, sitting with Datuk Alwi Abdul Wahab and Datin Paduka Evrol Mariette Peters, unanimously dismissed the appeal by Cheung Chai Ming and his wife Seow Pei Chie, both aged 44, against their conviction and the 2023 sentence imposed by then Sibu High Court Judge Datuk Christopher Chin.

The appellate court said it sees the death penalty as an “act of retribution” and said: “Punishment must be proportionate to the gravity of the offence.”

“Custodial sentence is inadequate in light of the physical and psychological harm imposed on the victim and her family,” Peters said when delivering the decision.

Deputy public prosecutor Ng Siew Wee urged the court to reaffirm the death penalty, arguing that the offence involved sustained and non-spontaneous violence, as well as dehumanising treatment and exploitation.

“The appellants lived off the deceased’s earnings, controlled her movements, collected her money, and beat her when earnings were insufficient,” said Ng.

Cheung from Jalan Tun Sambathan, Kuala Lumpur, and Seow from Subang Jaya, Selangor were found guilty of murdering Heng Heow Lin, 38, and sentenced to death on July 31, 2023, in accordance with Section 302 of the Penal Code, which was read together with Section 34 of the same Code.

The offence was committed in 2020 between Oct 4 at about 10pm and Oct 6 at about 6am at a house on Jalan Tong Sang in Sibu.

The incident occurred during a confrontation between Seow and the victim, where it escalated, with Seow slamming Heng’s head against a wall multiple times and strangling her with a cloth before she lost consciousness.

The couple then stuffed Heng’s body into suitcase.

Police said Heng’s body showed signs consistent with someone who had tried to defend herself, as she had been beaten and strangled by her attackers.

A post-mortem examination revealed that her cause of death was asphyxia due to neck compression, with head injuries caused by blunt force trauma.

Two handwritten alleged ‘suicide notes’ were also found on her.

However, the appellate court found that the notes were a deliberate deception by the couple intended to create a false impression of the incident.

Heng and her then 16-year-old daughter moved from Perak to live with the couple in Sibu in March 2016.

They were reportedly subjected to verbal and physical abuse as they struggled to repay the money Heng had borrowed from the couple.

Heng initially worked as a cook but was later forced into prostitution to repay the debt.

Her daughter was also coerced into prostitution for the same purpose.

Both appellants were known as ‘Along Harimau’ and were involved in pimping Heng, collecting her prostitution earnings.

A fellow prostitute also testified that the couple would come to collect money from Heng.

When her earnings were low, they would beat her until she bled, an act that was witnessed frequently.

Following the appellate court’s decision, court-appointed counsel for the appellants — Yap Hoi Liong and Timothy Finalyson Joel — said they would take the matter to the Apex Court.