Gaip Yap a good and intelligent daughter, says father

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Shahril Jaafar being escorted by police after the High Court sentenced him to death for murdering Gaip Yap. — Bernama photo

Shahril Jaafar being escorted by police after the High Court sentenced him to death for murdering Gaip Yap. — Bernama photo

ALOR SETAR: The father of rape-cum-murder victim Chee Gaip Yap, yesterday said he felt relieved now that his 10-year wait to get justice for his daughter was paid off with the culprit sent to the gallows.

The High Court here yesterday sentenced Shahril Jaafar, 34, to death after finding him guilty for murdering Gaip Yap, 25, a graduate of Universiti Utara Malaysia.

Gaip Yap’s semi-nude body was found on Jan 15, 2006 at Jalan Kelab Cinta Sayang.

She had gone jogging with her younger sister in the Kelab Cinta Sayang premises when she was abducted.

Chee Ah Sau, 67, said he had been praying for the past 10 years that his daughter’s killer would be punished.

“I feel relieved now, but will not be satisfied until the punishment is meted on him,” he told reporters outside the court here yesterday.

The Alor Setar High Court had on June 25, 2013, acquitted Shahril of the charge, but on Oct 13 last year, following an appeal by the prosecution, the Court of Appeal overturned the acquittal and ordered Shahril to enter his defence.

Ah Sau said Gaip Yap, the third of six siblings, was an intelligent girl and his only daughter to be able to pursue studies until university level.’

“She was the family hope,” he added.

He said Gaip Yap was also supposed to go to Germany for training before the tragic incident befell her.

“Everything was ready. The tickets had been bought, and then it happened,” he added. — Bernama