MUHAMMAD AZWAN BIN ZULKARNAI v Pendakwa Raya [Pendakwa Raya]

d-05sh-1-01-2024 Court of Appeal (Mahkamah Rayuan) 20 April 2025 • D-05(SH)-1-01/2024 • 72 min read
27 cases cited (1 SG, 26 foreign)

Catchwords

seksyen 302 Kanun Keseksaan – Isu: sama ada Hakim telah terkhilaf apabila menolak pembelaan ketidakwarasan (defence of insanity)? - Seksyen 84 Kanun Keseksaan - Act of a person of unsound mind - perbezaan legal and medical insanity - legal insanity merupakan bidang kuasa mahkamah - peban pembuktian ketidakwarasaan di atas imbangan kebarangkalian terletak di bahu tertuduh - disebabkan ketidakwarasaan fikiran, tertuduh tidak berkeupayaan mengetahui bahawa perbuatannya itu adalah salah atau berlawanan dengan undang-undang pada ketika kesalahan itu dilakukan - isu ketidakwarasaan undang-undang (legal insanity) perlu diputuskan tanpa mengenepikan keterangan perubatan (medical evidence) - kelakuan tertuduh terdahulu dan terkemudian menunjukkan “state of mind” – tertuduh mengalami masalah kebergantungan kepada dadah dan psikosis - luka-luka tembak telah mengakibatkan 100% kematian - tembakan dilakukan dengan niat untuk menyebabkan kematian - sasaran tertuduh hanyalah terhadap si mati sahaja - keadaan mental tertuduh sebelum, semasa dan selepas kejadian - Tertuduh telah gagal dalam pembelaan tidak waras (insanity) - seksyen 8 Akta Keterangan 1950 - inferens tertuduh sedar sifat serta akibat perbuatannya, mampu mengetahui bahawa perbuatannya adalah salah dan bertentangan dengan undang-undang ketika melakukan kesalahan tersebut - keterangan melimpah ruah menunjukan niat, tahap mental serta pemikiran tertuduh yang boleh berfikir secara rasional - pengakuan sukarela tertuduh membunuh si mati dengan sendirinya telah melenyapkan isu mengenai ketiadaan motif pembunuhan - pembelaan mengenai ketidakwarasan mental adalah suatu yang tidak berasas serta tidak menimbulkan apa-apa keraguan munasabah terhadap kes pendakwaan - seksyen 114(g) Akta Keterangan 1950 – tiada ‘suppression of material evidence

Practice Areas

seksyen 302 Kanun Keseksaan

Judges (3)

Ahmad Zaidi bin Ibrahim Coram Azmi bin Ariffin Delivered Noorin binti Badaruddin Coram

Counsel (3)

Ridzuan Awang & Co. Firm Ahmad Ridzuan bin Awang Counsel Appellant How May Ling Counsel Prosecution

Parties (2)

Pendakwa Raya Respondent Muhammad Azwan bin Zulkarnai Appellant

Case Significance

MUHAMMAD AZWAN BIN ZULKARNAI v Pendakwa Raya [Pendakwa Raya] is a Court of Appeal (Mahkamah Rayuan) decision dated April 20, 2025 (citation: d-05sh-1-01-2024). <p>The accused was convicted of murder for shooting his uncle with a shotgun in Kelantan and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment and 12 strokes. The Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed the appeal, finding the insanity defence was not established despite drug dependence history, as the accused acted with rational intent and voluntarily confessed to the killing.</p> The panel comprised Ahmad Zaidi bin Ibrahim, Azmi bin Ariffin and Noorin binti Badaruddin, with Azmi bin Ariffin delivering the judgment. Counsel appearing: Ahmad Ridzuan bin Awang (counsel for appellant), How May Ling (prosecution counsel).

Summary

The accused was convicted of murder for shooting his uncle with a shotgun in Kelantan and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment and 12 strokes. The Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed the appeal, finding the insanity defence was not established despite drug dependence history, as the accused acted with rational intent and voluntarily confessed to the killing.

What was the outcome of MUHAMMAD AZWAN BIN ZULKARNAI v Pendakwa Raya [Pendakwa Raya]?

<p>The accused was convicted of murder for shooting his uncle with a shotgun in Kelantan and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment and 12 strokes. The Co...

Statutes Cited

Evidence Act 1950 (Cap 56)
s 105
Penal Code (Cap 574)
s 84

Cases Cited (27)

SLR (1)
[1999] 4 SLR 101
UK (3)
[1935] AC 462 [1970] 1 All ER 219 [1974] 2 All ER 840
MY (23)
[1960] 26 MLJ 249 [1969] MLRA 382 [1970] 1 MLJ 63 [1977] 1 MLJ 6 [1987] 1 CLJ 540 [1987] 2 MLJ 336 [1993] 1 CLJ 147 [1997] 3 MLJ 495 [1998] 1 CLJ 759 [1998] 2 CLJ 383 [1998] 3 MLJ 243 [1999] 4 CLJ 215 [1999] 4 MLJ 497 [2001] 1 CLJ 381 [2004] 1 CLJ 378 [2007] 2 CLJ 509 [2007] 4 CLJ 337 [2009] 1 CLJ 717 [2016] 1 MLJ 799 [2018] 10 CLJ 36 [2019] 5 MLJ 404 [2019] 7 CLJ 341 [2025] 2 CLJ 21