Businessman loses appeal, goes to jail for raping maid

PUTRAJAYA - A businessman was sent to jail for 12 years after he lost his appeal to set aside his conviction for raping his Indonesian maid in 2016.

The Court of Appeal's three-member bench comprising Justices Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail and Datuk Wong Kian Kheong also ordered Sufian Sulaiman to be whipped five times.

Justice Wong, who delivered the court’s unanimous decision, said that there was no reason to interfere with the concurrent findings by the Sessions Court and the High Court which convicted Sufian for the offence.

He said the trial judge had considered all the evidence in the case particularly the victim’s conduct who told Sufian’s sister-in-law and a friend of the sister-in-law about the incident.

He said this case was serious where an employer has the responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of his maid but instead, he violated his responsibility.

Justice Wong, however, said the court allowed Sufian’s appeal to reduce the jail term from 14 to 12 years.

He also issued a warrant of committal for Sufian to begin his jail term today. Sufian was given a stay of execution of his jail sentence and released on bail pending his appeal to the Court of Appeal.

Sufian, 49, was appealing against the Sessions Court’s decision on May 18, 2018, which found him guilty of raping the maid who was 19 years old at that time at a house in Cheras in Kuala Lumpur between 3 am and 4 am in July 2016.

The Sessions Court sentenced him to 14 years in jail and five strokes of the cane. He lost his appeal which was dismissed by the High Court on Aug 28, 2020.

Sufian was represented by lawyers Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent and Kee Wei Lon while deputy public prosecutor Eyu Ghim Siang appeared for the prosecution. - BERNAMA