KUCHING: An e-hailing driver was charged at the magistrate's court here today with the murder of 28-year-old Nurul Asikin Lan, whose decomposed body was found in a drain on Dec 15.
Zakwan Mokhtar, 23, nodded his head as a sign that he understood the charge read to him before Magistrate Sharifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali.
He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
However, no plea was recorded as murder was under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
If found guilty, the accused could be sentenced to death or imprisonment for a term of not less than 30 years but not exceeding 40 years, and, if not sentenced to death, shall be punished with whipping of not less than 12 strokes.
Sharifah Fatimah fixed Feb 10 for as mention after allowing deputy public prosecutor Jean Siow Hung Hwei to apply for a new date while awaiting the DNA and autopsy reports.
Meanwhile, in a separate magistrate's court, Zakwan was sentenced to three months' jail after he pleaded guilty to making a false report regarding Nurul Asikin's disappearance.
Zakwan filed the report at Sentul police station, Kuala Lumpur, due to concerns for his safety.
Nurul Asikin was reported to be missing for 10 days since Dec 5, before her body was found near Jalan Setia Raja in Tabuan near here.
Following that, a man was arrested and investigations found that the suspect admitted to committing the offence because he wanted to pawn off the victim's jewelry.
This was to cover his expenses for watching a football match between Malaysia and Cambodia at the 2024 Mitsubishi Electric Asean Cup tournament in Phnom Penh, on Dec 8.