Indonesian man jailed 30 years, caned 12 strokes for Mukah murder

SIBU (Sept 23): An Indonesian man was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane by the High Court here today for murdering his compatriot in Mukah in 2024.

Judicial Commissioner Alvin Leong ordered Rosianto, 33, to serve the sentence from the date of his arrest on Dec 17, 2024.

Rosianto pleaded guilty to murdering Ahmad Rifai at about 6pm on Dec 15, 2024, near the workers’ quarters at 7th Lane, Ladang Petian Solar Green in Mukah.

The offence is punishable under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

According to the facts of the case, an altercation occurred between Rosianto and Ahmad before the accused chased the deceased.

Ahmad fell to the ground and reached for a nearby rod to defend himself, but Rosianto stabbed him in the neck and left iliac fossa of the abdomen before fleeing into a nearby plantation block.

Ahmad was subsequently found lying in an open area along 7th Lane with apparent stab wounds.

A post-mortem examination found multiple injuries, including a severe penetrating stab wound to the neck that had transected the right common carotid artery, internal jugular vein and vagus nerve.

The cause of death was recorded as stab wounds to the neck and abdomen.

The court was also told that following his arrest, Rosianto led police to a 23cm-long knife with a wooden handle at Block 4E within the plantation.

A knife sheath recovered near the crime scene was subsequently matched to the knife.

DNA analysis found bloodstains on a pair of black shorts recovered from Rosianto that matched Ahmad’s DNA profile, while DNA profiles obtained from the knife were consistent with Rosianto’s.

A witness also positively identified Rosianto during an identification parade as the person he had seen chasing and stabbing Ahmad.

The investigation further uncovered prior workplace friction between the accused and deceased, including a threat by Rosianto in November 2024 to cause injury to Ahmad.

In mitigation, defence counsel Ranbir Singh Sangha submitted that the murder was not premeditated, saying Rosianto had confronted Ahmad over an alleged insult against his mother.

Counsel also submitted that Rosianto had been carrying the knife for fishing and that the confrontation escalated after Ahmad allegedly threatened to rape his mother.

The defence argued that the case was distinguishable from another murder case involving a sleeping victim and cited a previous case in which the accused had been sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment after a full trial.

In sentencing, Leong said the court was satisfied that Rosianto understood the nature and consequences of his guilty plea and had admitted the facts and exhibits unequivocally and without reservation.

“The sanctity of human life cannot be overstated. A life was taken,” he said.

He said he had taken into account the mitigating circumstances raised by the defence as well as the factors submitted by the prosecution.

“I take note in particular of the devastating impact of caning and I further of the view that the murder was not premeditated given the threat made against the accused’s mother on the day,” he said.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mark Kenneth Netto prosecuted the case.