PUTRAJAYA: The son of a former Islamic State (IS) militant who pleaded guilty to a charge of being involved in criminal conspiracy to promote terrorism in Malaysia, is to remain behind bars for 12 years.
This followed a unanimous decision by the Federal Court five-man bench led by Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Ahmad Maarop yesterday in dismissing Abu Daud Murad Halimmuddin’s appeal for a lesser jail term.
“We think the jail sentence is appropriate. It is less than half of the maximum jail sentence of 30 years provided for the offence under the law,” he said.
The other judges were Federal Court judges Tan Sri Azahar Mohamed, Datuk Sri Balia Yusof Wahi, Tan Sri Aziah Ali and Datuk Mohd Zawawi Salleh.
Justice Ahmad said there was no error made by the High Court and Court of Appeal in imposing the 12-year jail sentence on Abu Daud.
Abu Daud, 27, the eldest son of Murad Halimmuddin Hassan, represented himself in the court yesterday, pleading for early exit from prison to enable him to go back to take care of his family, including his two young children.
He asked the court to give him a chance to correct his mistake.
“I admit I am guilty. I am remorseful and I promise to take care of my mother and children,” he added.
Deputy public prosecutor Norinna Bahadun, who prosecuted, said the jail sentence was sufficient and not excessive as the offence was serious.
She said Abu Daud had proposed some of his jihad ideas, including planning to kidnap some of the country leaders for ransom to free those arrested under Sosma and to raid army camps for weapons.
Abu Daud was sentenced to 12 years’ jail after he pleaded guilty at the Kuala Lumpur High Court in June 2015 to committing the offence at No 61, Pengkalan Batu Hampar, Air Putih, Pendang district, Kedah on March 25, 2015. His sentence began from the date of his arrest on April 5, 2015.
He lost his appeal at the Court of Appeal to reduce the jail sentence last year.
His 50-year-old father, Murad, had also pleaded guilty to two charges – involvement in a criminal conspiracy to promote terrorism in Malaysia and supporting terrorist activities — and was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment.
It was reported that Murad died of a heart complication on Oct 21, 2016, at Teluk Intan Hospital in Perak where he was admitted to the intensive care unit after his condition deteriorated. — Bernama