Employer’s Son Sentenced to Death for Murder of Bangladeshi Worker in Malaysia

IPOH: The High Court here has sentenced an employer’s son to death for the brutal murder of a Bangladeshi worker in Sungai Kinta, Sungai Galah, Kampung Gajah, and Perak Tengah seven years ago.

Judge Su Tiang Joo delivered the verdict, finding the accused guilty of killing 32-year-old Md Ovaidul between 8.20pm and 10.25pm on Dec 15, 2018, under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

In his judgment, Justice Su described the crime as premeditated and exceptionally cruel. Evidence revealed that the victim was first assaulted at a house, then taken to a riverbank where his throat was slit. His body was later dumped in the river to destroy evidence.

The court also took into account the accused’s attempts to intimidate prosecution witnesses, the employer-employee relationship between the accused and the victim, and the suffering endured by the victim before his death.

Earlier, the victim’s elder brother, Md Hossain Khan, 37, delivered a victim impact statement through a court interpreter on behalf of the family in Bangladesh. He said his brother was the third of six siblings and the main breadwinner for the family, which relied on his earnings from Malaysia.

“A month before the incident, my brother told us he planned to return to Bangladesh to get married. The family had already begun wedding preparations. That dream was shattered when he was brutally murdered and, worse, by the son of his own employer,” he said.

Deputy Public Prosecutor JS Geetha led the prosecution, while lawyer V. Santhiran represented the accused. The trial began on Jan 6, 2020, and heard testimony from 24 prosecution witnesses and one defense witness.

On Dec 18, 2018, the victim’s body was found in Sungai Kinta with one leg tied to a motorcycle.