MALAYSIA. DECISION ON HANAFI'S APPEAL AGAINST DEATH SENTENCE DEFERRED

the Malaysian Court of Appeal postponed indefinitely the decision on the appeal by Hanafi Mat Hassan against his death sentence for killing computer engineer Noor Suzaily Mukhtar. The three-panel bench led by Justice Datuk Richard Malanjum made the ruling after hearing arguments by both the prosecution and the defence. Hanafi, who filed the appeal on April 29, 2002, was sentenced to be hanged to death by the Shah Alam High Court. High Court Judge Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus had also sentenced Hanafi to 20 years maximum imprisonment and to be whipped 12 times after he was found guilty of raping Noor Suzaily. On April 26, 2002, Justice Mohd Hishamudin found Hanafi guilty of committing the offence on the evening of October 7, 2000 at a construction site in Lorong Pegaga, Taman Chi Liung.