Justice Noorin Baharuddin, delivering the court’s unanimous decision, dismissed the prosecution’s appeal to enhance Chia Kong Wee’s sentences under Section 3 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 and Section 302 of Penal Code for murder.

Chia pleaded guilty at the High Court to discharging one shot in a bank at SS15, Subang Jaya, on Sept 3, 2020 during a robbery and to murdering Aiman Hakim Zakri, a driver outside another bank in Taman Puchong Prima on March 11, 2022.

The court sentenced him to 30 years’ imprisonment for each offence, to run consecutively from Aug 6, 2025.

He was also ordered to be whipped 12 times.

The prosecution, represented by deputy public prosecutor Zain Ibrahim, today urged the court to increase Chia’s firearms’ sentence to at least 35 years and impose the death penalty for Aiman’s murder.

In response, defence lawyer Rafique Rashid Ali told the court that the long custodial sentences against Chia would already ensure that he is behind bars for at least 90 years.

“He will not see his freedom,” he added.

Noorin said there was no need for the appeals court to interfere with the sentences passed by the High Court.

“We are satisfied that the High Court judge exercised his discretion in sentencing to avoid a sentence that is manifestly excessive,” she said.

Noorin also noted that the judge had taken into consideration the fact that Chia had pleaded guilty in two other cases, also involving murder and a firearms charge, for which he was likewise sentenced to 60 years in prison and 12 strokes of the rotan.

Also on the panel hearing the appeal were Justices Radzi Abdul Hamid and Dean Wayne Daly.