SHAH ALAM: Former celebrity preacher Da’i Syed, whose real name is Syed Shah Iqmal Syed Mohd Shaiful, has been sent to Kajang Prison to begin his 10-year prison sentence for rape.
Sessions Court judge Norazlin Othman dismissed his application to stay the execution of the punishment yesterday after finding there were no special circumstances that would warrant the stay.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin had earlier told the court that there was no special consideration to stay the execution of the sentence, given the proven criminal offence.
However, lawyer Syed Amirul Syed Edros, representing Syed Shah Iqmal, 29, contended that if the stay was granted, it would not prejudice any party.
He said this was because a new bail would be set with stricter conditions to ensure the accused would not flee, adding that it was his client’s first offence.
“My client is married and has a newborn child who is only 16 days old. His wife is in court today, even though she is still in her confinement.
“If my client is imprisoned, it will ruin his life, as his wife and child need him,” said the lawyer, Bernama reported.
Syed Shah Iqmal was sentenced by the Sessions Court here to 10 years’ imprisonment and three strokes of the cane after he was found guilty of raping a 23-year-old woman in a room at a condominium in I-City, Section 7 here at about 1.35am on Sept 11, 2019.
When handing out the sentence, Norazlin said that the accused, being a religious preacher and motivational speaker, had committed an act that defied logic.
“The court took into account the trauma suffered by the victim, who gathered the strength to file a police report against the accused and had to endure a lengthy legal process in court,” she said.
Syed Shah Iqmal, who was wearing a suit, wept in the dock when the judge handed down the sentence.
After sentencing, his wife, Nurulhana Ismail, 38, went to comfort and hugged her husband.
Family members also brought the couple’s baby girl to meet Syed Shah Iqmal before he was taken to Kajang Prison.
Earlier, Raja Zaizul Faridah requested the court to impose a severe sentence as a lesson for the accused, taking into account public interest and the increasing prevalence of rape crimes.
“Given the accused’s position and the testimonies of witnesses, the accused is a well-known individual, a preacher with a strong religious background, and a motivator for young people.
“When this character is presented to society, it is held in high regard, but the accused used his position to take advantage of the victim,” she said.
On April 10 last year, the Shah Alam Sessions Court acquitted and discharged Syed Shah Iqmal of the rape charge after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him at the end of the prosecution’s case.
However, on March 7 this year, the Shah Alam High Court overturned the decision after allowing the prosecution’s appeal and ordered the accused to defend himself against the charge.
