PUTRAJAYA: A fisherman escaped the gallows today after the Federal Court commuted his death sentence to 33 years in jail for killing his wife 23 years ago.
This was after the Federal Court three-member bench comprising Justices Datuk Zabariah Mohd Yusof, Datuk Nordin Hassan and Datuk Abu Bakar Jais allowed Abd Razak Dalek’s application to review the death sentence imposed on him under the Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of the Federal Court) Act 2023 came into force last year.
Abd Razak, 71, was ordered to serve his sentence from the date of his arrest on Sept 3, 2001.
The father of two children has been in prison for 22 years and six months.
Abd Razak, through his lawyer Datuk Baljit Singh Sidhu, had pleaded to the court to be given a second chance and to commute the death sentence imposed on him (Abd Razak) to prison sentence to allow him to spend time with his children and five grandchildren.
Abd Razak was found guilty by the High Court in Johor Bahru in 2006 for killing Rozita Haron, 39, who works as a cleaner at a hospital. He committed the offence at his brother’s house in Parit Pecah, Parit Jawa, Muar on Sept 3, 2001.
In 2009, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court decision. Abd Razak lost his appeal which was dismissed by the Federal Court in 2010.
Baljit Singh also told the media that Abd Razak is expected to be released today following one-third remission of the sentence. -Bernama