Corpun file 4339

New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur, 15 September 1999

Rapist's jail term enhanced to 12 years

By Zubaidah Abu Bakar

ALOR STAR, Tues. - The High Court today enhanced to 12 years the 10-year jail term imposed on a former navy cadet who was convicted of raping a college student two years ago.

Judge Datuk K.N. Segara, however, maintained the 10 strokes of the rotan meted out to Zulkarnain Ariffin who had asked for an increase in the number of strokes instead of having to serve the jail term in full.

He was found guilty of raping the 22-year-old student at the canteen of SRJK Chee Nan in Jerlun on Feb 2, 1997. Zulkarnain, 26, had committed the offence with lorry drivers Iskandar Abdullah, 27, and Hasmizar Zakaria, 24, between 2.40am and 4.30am.

Sessions Court judge B. Sarala Pillai had found the three guilty of the offence on Feb 28 last year and sentenced Iskandar and Hasmizar to 12 years' jail each while Zulkarnain got 10 years. They were also ordered to be given 10 strokes of the rotan each.

Segara said he was satisfied that the evidence showed the victim had not consented to the acts of the three accused who had planned the rape.

Earlier, in his submission, Zulkarnain's counsel Yaacob Othman said the victim had consented to the act.

Deputy public prosecutor Roslan Abu said the victim had not consented. She was in fact deceived into believing that her attackers were police officers. He said they had approached her on the pretext of investigating her regarding her motorcycle which they claimed to be a stolen item, and took her to the school canteen and raped her.

Corpun file 4586

Associated Press, 15 September 1999

Video of caning to be shown in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Video clips of criminals being strapped and caned in prison are expected to be shown to Malaysian students to stem growing delinquency, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

"Drastic and shocking though it may seem, the emphasis for such a move is necessary to overcome indiscipline among students," a Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation official was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times daily.

The official, who was not identified, said a five-minute video clip of prisoners being flogged would soon be distributed to schools nationwide.

"The objective is to ensure a crime-free schooling environment," he was quoted as saying.

More than 3,000 youngsters were involved in juvenile delinquency and crime in 1997 and 1998, according to police statistics cited by the newspaper.

Counseling psychologists polled by the newspaper disagreed with the move.

"There is already so much violence on TV. Students may take the caning as just another movie," said Valerie Jaques, a private practitioner.

Malaysia prescribes flogging with a rattan cane as punishment for various crimes, including drug trafficking and sodomy.

Corpun file 4265

The Star, Kuala Lumpur, 17 September 1999

No video show of caning in prison

SEREMBAN: The Education Ministry has no plans to show video clips of criminals being strapped and caned in prison to students as the result in doing so may be contrary to what is expected.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the ministry was not conducting any studies to look into the matter.

"We have not made any decision on the matter. I do not know where the proposal came from," he said on Wednesday night.

Najib was commenting on a news report that the authorities are considering a proposal to show such video clips to students to deter them from committing crimes.

According to the report, the proposal was agreed upon following a meeting between the Education Ministry and the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation.

Najib said showing such video clippings was practised in other countries but the ministry wanted to be cautious on the matter.

"We are cautious because the result may not be what we expect. It may even bring effects contrary to what we expect," he said.

The ministry, he said, believed that counselling was a more effective way in deterring students from committing criminal offences.

However, foundation vice-chairman Datuk Lee Lam Thye said a sub-committee would study and look into the possibility of using such video clips in efforts to deter the youth from committing crimes.

Lee said such video clips would be helpful and useful to guide students.

Copyright � 1999. Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved.