Assault on varsity student like watching boxing match — witness

KUALA LUMPUR: A witness likened the incident involving an assault on Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) student Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain to that of a boxing match.

A former student at the university, Mohd Syafiq Abdullah, 22, told the High Court here yesterday that he saw Zulfarhan Osman grimacing in pain and was sweating as he was punched by his colleagues before one of them, Noriznan Izzairi Noor Azhar, who is the 17th accused, wiped the victim's sweat.

He said this during reexamination by the prosecution, conducted by Kuala Lumpur prosecuting director Othman Abdullah, on the 19th day trial of six UPNM students charged with the murder and abetment in the murder of Zulfarhan Osman.

Mohd Syafiq, who was Zulfarhan Osman's roommate at the university, is testifying as the 25th prosecution witness. He is currently undergoing military training in Kedah

He said after Noriznan Izzairi wiped the sweat on Zulfarhan Osman, the others assaulted the victim again.

Questioned by Othman whether the action was like in a boxing match, Noriznan Izzairi said it was.

Earlier, cross-examined by Noriznan Izzairi's lawyer, Ariff Hazami Hussin, Mohd Syafiq said when Zulfarhan Osman was assaulted in hostel room 3-5 on the night of May 21, 2017, a few students intervened in an attempt to stop the assault.

“There were also a few who came to see and did nothing,” he said, but could not ascertain the number of students who tried to stop the assault on Zulfarhan Osman.

Six UPNM students, Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi, Muhammad Azamuddin, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin, Mohamad Shobirin Sabri and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali have pleaded not guilty to the murder and abetment in the murder of Zulfarhan Osman at room 04-10, Jebat hostel block of UPNM between 4.45 am and 5.45 am, on May 22, 2017.

The charges against them, all aged 22, were made under Section 302 and 109 of the Penal Code which provides for the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

They, together with 13 other students, were also charged with voluntarily causing hurt to the victim to make him confess to the laptop theft, under Section 330 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same code which provides for a maximum jail term of seven years and fine, if convicted.

The hearing before judge Datuk Azman Abdullah continues on Jan 23 next year. - Bernama