PETALING JAYA: A 33-year-old personal assistant was today sentenced to death for the 2023 murder of a salesgirl with whom he had been in a relationship.
High Court judge Alexander Siew How Wai imposed the senten on Chung King Fung @ Haider Daniel Chung Abdullah after Chung admitted to killing 21-year-old Nurul Ain Silien at a shopping complex in Kota Kinabalu in May 2023.
Chung entered his guilty plea on Feb 9, the day the trial was scheduled to begin, reported the Borneo Post.
In his reserved judgment delivered today, Justice Alexander held that the murder was premeditated, noting that Chung had purchased the knife used to stab Nurul the day before the attack.
“Contrary to the submission of the learned counsel, this was not a crime of passion,” the judge said, describing the attack as vicious and brazen. “The accused repeatedly stabbed the victim from the side and then proceeded to stab her in the back with great force no fewer than eight times,” he added, referencing CCTV footage submitted in court.
The defence had argued that Chung was provoked after seeing the victim with another man following their breakup. Mitigation submissions also noted that he did not flee the scene, called the police himself after the murder, and has elderly parents and a child to care for.
However, Justice Alexander ruled that these factors did not reduce the gravity of the crime. “The accused not only took the victim’s life in a cruel manner but also destroyed any chance for the victim’s family to live a normal life,” he said.
The court declined to issue an order for compensation, stating that such matters are better addressed through civil proceedings.
Chung was charged with murder, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of 30 to 40 years and a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.
Chung was represented by counsel Edward Paul, while Jakariya Jalil held a watching brief on behalf of the deceased’s family.
