SHAH ALAM: Celebrity preacher Syed Shah Iqmal Syed Mohd Shaiful wept as he was sentenced to 10 years in jail and three strokes of the rotan by the Sessions Court today after being found guilty of raping a woman five years ago.
Judge Norazlin Othman ordered the 29-year-old to begin serving his sentence immediately and dismissed his application for a stay of execution.
Clad in a suit, Syed Shah Iqmal, better known as Da'i Syed, stood in the dock with his head bowed as the verdict was read out.
He wept and sighed, slumping over the court bench after the decision was delivered.
His wife, Nurulhana Ismail, 38, who is in confinement after delivering their baby 16 days ago, also cried after hearing the decision.
After the proceedings, the couple was seen hugging each other before Syed Shah Iqmal was handcuffed and sent to Kajang prison to begin serving his sentence.
The wife also was seen holding the baby who was brought to see Syed Shah Iqmal before he left the court complex for the prison.
In her judgment, Norazlin had stressed Syed Shah Iqmal's role as a celebrity preacher who has a huge impact on society, especially Muslims in the country, as well as youngsters and university students.
"His act against the victim is unacceptable by common sense.
"This is because the accused, as someone who is trusted, had used his position on a victim, who is weak. This is why this sentence should serve a lesson not only to the accused but the society as well.
"This court also takes into consideration the traumatic impact on the victim in this case which involves a woman and her modesty.
"The victim is for sure traumatised because she had to gather all her strength to come forward to lodge a police report and face long legal processes, which is not easy.
"This traumatic experience will continue to be etched in her mind her whole life," she said.
Norazlin said there was no need for police surveillance and counselling on Syed Shah Iqmal as requested by the prosecution as the sentence she had meted out was sufficient.
On the stay of execution, Norazlin said she dismissed the application as there were no special circumstances that warranted it and his appeal to the High Court was not an automatic right to it.
Deputy public prosecutor Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin prosecuted while Syed Shah Iqmal was represented by lawyer Syed Amirul Syed Edros.
During submissions earlier, Raja Zaizul Faridah urged the court to mete out a heavy sentence on the accused taking into consideration public interest as rape cases were rampant.
"The accused is known by many people and he is a preacher with a strong religious background. He is also a motivator to youngsters of his age.
"This character is brought to the limelight and looked up to, but he used his position and took advantage of the victim," she said.
She said there were no special circumstances that warranted the stay of the execution application.
"The court should take into consideration that he has been convicted, a criminal offence has been successfully proven against him and the gravity of the offence," she said.
In mitigation, Syed Amirul had asked for a stay of execution as it was Syed Shah Iqmal's first offence.
"My client is married and has a new baby, who is just 16 days old. His wife is in court today although she is in confinement.
"If my client is put in jail, it will destroy their lives because his wife and baby need him (Syed Shah Iqmal)," he said.
Syed Shah Iqmal was charged with raping a 23-year-old woman at 1.35pm in a room at the condominium in i-City in Section 7 on Sept 11, 2019.
The charge under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code which carries a maximum 20-year jail term and whipping.