SHAH ALAM: A speech and hearing-impaired man who was on Monday sentenced to death by the High Court for the murders of four people in a 2017 Tanjung Sepat fire intends to appeal against the decision.
Defence lawyer Jasmine Cheong, representing former furniture factory worker Kang Chang Heng, 46, said that a notice of appeal will be filed with the Federal Court soon.
This follows the findings of Judicial Commissioner Suriyati Hasimah Mohd Hashim, who held Kang guilty of murdering elderly couple Chia Tee Nang, 73, his wife Lim Mai Shak, 68, his girlfriend’s parents – and their grandsons Chia Yuan Bin, 3, and 9-year-old Ryan Chia Zeng Xi.
He was found to have committed the offences at house number 72, Jalan Tepi Laut, Tanjung Sepat, in Kuala Langat, between 4am and 5am on Dec 13, 2017.
Kang was further sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment on a charge for voluntarily causing hurt to the couple’s other grandson, then 12-year-old Andrew Chia Zeng Haol under Section 324 of the Penal Code.
He was originally charged on Jan 15, 2018.
However, on Oct 19, 2022, the Shah Alam High Court acquitted him of all charges without calling for his defence at the end of the prosecution case.
The Court of Appeal (CoA), on Sept 2 last year, quashed the acquittal, ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case and ordered Kang to enter his defence.
The case was subsequently remitted to the Shah Alam High Court and Kang was rearrested on the same day and has since been held at Sungai Buloh Prison.
In August this year, the Federal Court dismissed Kang’s application to file a late appeal against the CoA’s decision.
In delivering her decision, Suriyati had said that while society generally shows sympathy towards persons with disabilities, Kang’s actions had eroded that trust.
“It was his very act that made people lose the sense of empathy and trust for the community.
“The accused had danced after he slashed them and hurt them before burning down the house,” she said.
Chia Gooi Chim, father of Yuan Bin, broke down while reading his victim impact statement, saying that his world came crumbling down because of Kang’s actions.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Firdaous Mohamed, who described the case as the rarest of the rare, had asked the court to impose the maximum sentence.
He said Kang had targeted the senior citizens and two children, all of whom were completely defenceless.
The couple had just returned from Vietnam before the incident.
Former Selangor police chief Tan Sri Mazlan Mansor had said an argument over money was believed to have driven Kang to set the home on fire.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
