Court Maintains Jail Sentence in Selangor Bank Murder

In Malaysia, the Court of Appeal has confirmed a 30-year prison sentence for a former college lecturer found guilty of murder and gunfire during a bank robbery in Selangor.

The panel, headed by Justice Datuk Noorin Badaruddin, rejected the prosecution's appeal for a stricter sentence against the defendant, Chai Kong Wee.

Prosecutors had sought the death penalty or an extended sentence of 40 years for the murder charge, along with an increased punishment for the firearm discharge to be served consecutively.

The court determined that the High Court had correctly utilized its sentencing discretion and provided no grounds to alter the previous decision, noting that consecutive sentences could lead to excessive punishment.

Chai, aged 42, admitted guilt in August 2025 for the murder of 21-year-old security officer Muhammad Aiman Hakim Md Zakri during a March 2022 bank heist in Puchong.

He also faced conviction for firing into the air during another bank robbery at a Subang Jaya business center in September 2020.

The High Court's ruling included 30 years of imprisonment along with 12 strokes of the cane for each offense, with both penalties running concurrently from the sentencing date.

Throughout the trial, prosecutors characterized the murder as meticulously planned and grave, while the defense pointed out that the accused was already serving lengthy sentences for other offenses.