Singaporean Sentenced 72 Years, 24 Canes for Murdering Wife, Stepson in Malaysia

A Singaporean man, Shahrul Nizam Zuraimy, was sentenced by the Melaka High Court to 72 years in prison and 24 strokes of the cane for the murder of his wife, Norfazera Bidin, and stepson, Muhammad Iman Ashraf Abdullah, in 2019. The court ordered consecutive sentences of 36 years and 12 strokes for each of the two murder charges, starting from his arrest date of October 11, 2019. Judge Datuk Anselm Charles Fernandis described Shahrul's actions as cruel, particularly noting his attempts to conceal the crime by dismembering the victims and hiding the wife's severed head in the ceiling of their home. The prosecution and the victims' family sought the death penalty, citing the brutality of the murders and the trauma suffered by the family, but the court balanced these with public interest and defense submissions. Shahrul's lawyers pleaded for leniency, noting his remorse and good behavior during imprisonment. The charges, under Section 302 of the Penal Code, carry either the death penalty or a maximum 40-year sentence with mandatory whipping if the death sentence is not imposed.