Ex-civil servant jailed 30 years for murdering infant daughter

Free Malaysia Today

2 days ago

Maidin Ibnuhashim was spared the minimum 12 strokes of the rotan as it was only imposed on male offenders aged 50 and below. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : A former civil servant has been sentenced to 30 years in jail for killing his nine-month-old daughter after the Federal Court allowed the prosecution's appeal to reinstate the murder charge.
The three-member bench, sitting in Kota Kinabalu and chaired by Chief Judge of Malaya Hasnah Hashim, yesterday ruled that the prosecution had proven all the ingredients for murder during the trial.
Hasnah said that Maidin Ibnuhashim had intended to inflict injuries on the infant, which ultimately caused her tragic death in 2018.
Justices Hanipah Farikullah and Azizah Nawawi also heard the appeal.
However, the bench opted to sentence Maidin, 60, to the minimum jail term of 30 years. He was spared the minimum 12 strokes of the rotan as it was only imposed on male offenders aged 50 and below.
The court had the discretion to impose either the death penalty or a jail term ranging from 30 to 40 years.
Maidin was initially charged with murdering his daughter, Nurul Shafika, at his rented home in Kampung Gersik Lama, Labuan, between Aug 10 and Aug 13, 2018.
In 2022, the trial judge reduced the charge to culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentenced Maidin to 18 years' imprisonment from the date of his arrest.
Last year, the prosecution failed in its appeal to reinstate the murder charge, while Maidin's appeal for acquittal from the culpable homicide conviction was also dismissed.
Both parties then filed fresh appeals to the Federal Court, with the prosecution succeeding this time.
During the trial in the High Court, a child eyewitness testified that she saw Maidin dip his daughter's fingers and toes into hot water from a rice cooker, and hold her under a running tap, letting the water flow over her head and face.
The witness also said Maidin slapped the baby's cheeks repeatedly whenever she cried, threw her onto a mattress – causing head injuries – and placed her in a baby swing that struck a cupboard several times.
An autopsy conducted by pathologist Dr N Murali concluded that the cause of death was 'severe head injury in a child with soft tissue injuries to the face, mixed superficial and deep dermal burns over the fingers and toes, and underlying bronchopneumonia'.
Deputy public prosecutor Eyu Ghim Siang appeared for the prosecution while David Tan represented Maidin.