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Lorry driver gets 15 years, eight strokes for attacking wife, in-laws with machete in Kota Tinggi

The accused Hadi Hashim is escorted by police at the Kota Tinggi Sessions Court April 26, 2022. — Picture by Ben Tan
The accused Hadi Hashim is escorted by police at the Kota Tinggi Sessions Court April 26, 2022. — Picture by Ben Tan

KOTA TINGGI, April 26 — A misunderstanding over RM4,000 saw a 38-year-old lorry driver sentenced to 15 years in jail and eight strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court here today for injuring his family, including his wife, in a machete attack on April 14.

The accused Hadi Hashim pled guilty to the four charges he faced when read out by the court interpreter before Judge Norsiah Ujang.

He was alleged to have caused serious injuries to his mother-in-law, Puasa Yasik, 57, with a machete at Jalan Siakap 5, Kampung Sedili Kecil, at about 8.22pm earlier this month.

Hadi was also charged with committing the same act on his wife, Norwahida Rosli, 33, and her siblings, Norwadiha Rosli, 32, and Mohamad Amirul Iskandar Kamaruzaman, 16, at the same time and location.

Hadi was charged with an offence under Section 326 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine or caning. All charges were read with Section 326(A) of the same Code, which carries up to 40 years’ jail and a fine or caning.

The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Irsyad Mardi, while the accused was represented by a lawyer from the National Legal Aid Foundation Nur Shuhadah Mahzan.

Nur Shuhadah had earlier appealed against Hadi’s sentence because he has two children, aged five and three months, to support and only works as a lorry driver with a monthly salary of RM1,300.

She argued that at the time of the incident, the accused had just returned from work and his mother-in-law had pressured him about the money.

She added that due to fatigue, the accused lost his temper, which led to him reaching for the machete. She noted he surrendered at the police station soon after the attack.

However, Muhammad Irsyad asked the court to impose a heavy sentence on the accused, saying he should not be given a minimum sentence due to the serious offence committed.

He said the reason given by the accused for the violent act, including hurting his mother-in-law, who is a senior citizen, and his brother-in-law, who is a student, was not acceptable.

“His act caused serious injuries to all the victims who are still traumatised,” he said.

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