Sinar Harian reported that Amirul Shafiq Shamshul Zahari, 29, nodded after the charge was read out before magistrate Eliana Ismail.

No plea was recorded as murder falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

Amirul was charged with murdering bank executive Zahrullail Basir, 52, at a house in Taman Sultan Abdul Halim, Tanjung Bendahara, Alor Setar between 3.15am and 8am that day.

The murder charge was framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides for the death penalty or 30 to 40 years’ imprisonment and no fewer than 12 strokes of the rotan.

The prosecution was managed by deputy public prosecutor Noor Fatin Azera Norhisham while Amirul was unrepresented.

The court set May 11 for case mention, pending the delivery of the autopsy and forensic reports.