I was at the hearing yesterday!

The Star, 18th June 2009

Cousin hit me to cure me, says murder trial witness

KUALA LUMPUR: One of the accused in the “cleansing ritual” murder trial, Muhammad Ilyas Abdul Razak, used to hit his cousin to “cure” her, the High Court heard.

Describing the events a few days prior to Hari Raya last year, Sofiah Mohd Ibrahim, 22, claimed that her cousin Muhammad Ilyas had hit her on the head with a kayu penggaru (tool used for scratching the back) to buang jin (to get rid of spirits).

She said her cousin, who used to work with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s Islamic Depart­ment, would deliver ceramah (lectures) on Islam to both their families, and would also hit the other family members.

“He would give ceramah, and we would just listen. I don’t know why we did it. He didn’t force us to listen, he just ordered us to,” she said yesterday.

During the examination-in-chief by Deputy Public Prosecutor Aidatul Azura Zainal Abidin and cross-examination by defence counsel Supramaniam Kassia Pillai, Sofia also said her cousin’s ceramah could stretch late into the night, and he would only allow his family members to sleep for “one or two hours” a night.

Siblings Muhammad Ilyas, 23, Muhammad Fauzi Abdul Razak, 21, and their cousin Muhammad Nizam Mohd Ibrahim are jointly charged with murdering Mohd Ibrahim Kader Mydin, 48, and Rosina SM Mydin Pillay, 42, (Muhammad Nizam and Sofiah’s parents) at 57C Blok A, Flat Seri Sarawak, Jalan Kenanga, here, on Oct 1 last year.

The three, charged with murdering the couple on Aidilfitri last year, practised the teachings of Al-Arqam leader Abuya Ashaari Muhamad, who is said to have the ability to raise the dead.

In the incident, seven family members, including the two who died, were allegedly beaten up in a ‘’cleansing ritual’’. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as ‘’head injuries due to blunt force trauma’’.

Sofiah also told the court that on the eve of Aidilfitri, Muhammad Ilyas had ordered her and several family members to go shopping and had “punished” them when their shopping spree did not satisfy him.

“He said the goods we bought were not enough, so he said he would have to punish us. I remember I was punched by my brother Muhammad Nizam on Ilyas’ orders. He asked Nizam to punch me. Everyone was punished. I was the first,” she said, adding that she then passed out.

She claimed she regained consciousness just before an ambulance arrived at the house, and she was later taken to the police station to have her statement recorded.

However, in a video clip shown in court, the name Sofiah was mentioned no less than four times and given orders, and a woman wearing a telekung (prayer outfit) was seen carrying out those orders, which included performing CPR on Rosina’s body.

Aidatul: I put it to you that based on the orders given out and the action of the woman following those orders, that woman is you.

Sofiah: I can’t remember the incident.

Aidatul: In your family, you are the only person named Sofiah?

Sofiah: Yes.

The hearing before Judicial Commissioner Azman Abdullah continues on July 10.

Utusan Malaysia, 18 Jun 2009

Saksi dipukul di kepala untuk 'buang jin', ditumbuk hingga pengsan

KUALA LUMPUR 17 Jun - Seorang gadis berusia 22 tahun memberitahu dia pernah diketuk di kepala dengan kayu oleh sepupunya bagi 'membuang jin'.

Dia juga ditumbuk di muka oleh adiknya sendiri sehingga pengsan sebagai denda kerana didakwa membeli barang kelengkapan Hari Raya Aidilfitri yang tidak mencukupi.

Itu merupakan antara kejadian yang berlaku kepada seorang bekas pelajar Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) beberapa hari sebelum kedua ibu bapanya mati selepas menjalani satu rawatan pelik 'upacara membelasah sesama sendiri' tahun lalu.

Sofiah Mohd. Ibrahim (gambar), memberitahu prosiding perbicaraan kes bunuh ibu bapanya di Mahkamah Tinggi di sini hari ini, dia dan adiknya serta seluruh ahli keluarga bapa saudaranya, Abdul Razak Kader Mydin telah diarahkan mendengar ceramah sepupunya, Muhammad llyas Abdul Razak, 24.

Ujarnya, dalam ceramah di 5-7C, Blok A, Flat Sri Sarawak, Jalan Kenanga di sini, mereka telah diminta bersembahyang dan memperbaiki akhlak dengan melawan nafsu.

Saksi pendakwa ke-12 itu turut menyatakan, selain dirinya, semua yang mendengar ceramah tersebut telah diketuk sekali di kepala bertujuan 'membuang jin'.

Dia memberi keterangan sedemikian pada perbicaraan terhadap Muhammad Ilyas dan adik tertuduh pertama itu, Muhammad Fauzi yang didakwa membunuh kakitangan teknikal Telekom Malaysia Bhd., Mohd. Ibrahim Kader Mydin, 47, dan isteri, Rosina SM Mydin Pillay, 41.

Adik Sofiah, Muhammad Nizam merupakan tertuduh ketiga dalam kes itu.

Mereka bertiga didakwa melakukan perbuatan itu di 5-7C, Blok A, Flat Sri Sarawak, Jalan Kenanga di sini antara pukul 12 tengah hari dan 8 malam, 1 Oktober tahun lalu.

Mencerita kejadian sehari sebelum berlakunya pembunuhan tersebut, Sofiah memberitahu, dia bersama ibu Muhammad Ilyas, Saerah Banu dan dua sepupunya, Faizah serta Muhammad Arif diarah oleh tertuduh pertama membeli kelengkapan menyambut hari raya.

Katanya, mereka telah keluar membeli belah di Pasar Raya Mydin Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman pada waktu petang dan balik pada awal pagi keesokan harinya yang merupakan hari raya pada 1 Oktober 2008.

Setibanya di rumah, Muhammad Ilyas memberitahu bahawa barang yang dibeli tidak mencukupi dan mereka perlu 'didenda.'

Sofiah menyatakan, pada ketika itu, tertuduh tidak menyatakan bentuk denda yang akan dikenakan tetapi dia kemudiannya telah dibawa ke bahagian beranda rumah berkenaan dan merupakan orang pertama didenda.

''Masa tu saya dalam keadaan duduk manakala adik saya Nizam berdiri di hadapan saya. Ilyas arahkan Nizam tumbuk saya sebagai denda.

''Sebelum Nizam tumbuk saya, dia cuma cakap tahan saja. Saya tak buat apa-apa cuma duduk diam. Dia tumbuk saya berulang kali kemudian saya pengsan. Selepas itu, dalam keadaan separuh sedar saya rasa saya dipapah masuk ke dalam salah sebuah bilik oleh ibu saya,'' katanya.

Mengenai identiti seorang wanita bertelekung putih yang dipanggil sebagai 'Sofiah' dalam salah satu daripada 17 klip rakaman video kejadian itu, katanya, dia tidak pasti siapakah wanita itu kerana tidak dapat melihat wajahnya dengan jelas.

Sofiah bagaimanapun mengakui dia satu-satunya ahli keluarga tersebut yang mempunyai nama sedemikian ketika disoal oleh Timbalan Pendakwa Raya, Aidatul Azura Zainal Abidin.

Perbicaraan di hadapan Pesuruhjaya Kehakiman Azman Abdullah bersambung 10 Julai ini.

MY COMMENT:

I had a talk with the DPP, Puan Aidatul. She told me that this case will be an interesting one to be followed, apart from cases such as Razak Baginda's. One of the accused person was from the Al-Arqam, and the follower of Abuya Ashaari.

Strangely, all three accused persons looked so tranquil, as if they did not realize that they were there for an accusation of murder. For identifying purpose, the court called upon one of the family member, for the witness to indentify. After it was done so, the family member walked out of the court. While walking out, he still managed to do some eye contact with the accused persons. And the witness (Sofiah), bizarrely, seemed to portray no grief while the video of her parents being murdered was shown in the court.

How strange can it be? Will you not cry over your parents’ death, when their life ended in such an awful manner? Will you not break into tears, reminiscing the moment you saw your parents’ body lied on the floor, filled with nothing but blood? A normal person would cry, would have severe post-traumatic effect. Unless he/she is extremely pious and leaves the rest to the fate that Allah has place for him/her.

Plus, how can Sofiah failed to identify that the person in the video was her? How can she fail to recognize her own voice? Who else would’ve called her mother “Mak” none other that Sofiah herself and her brother, Nizam. And there is no other relatives at the crime scene whose name is Sofiah, other that Sofiah (the witness) herself.

What can I say is perhaps Sofiah has something to hide, or she was part of the murder, or she loves her brother way too much till she allow herself to give contradict statement, or she has been hypnotized and still is. Whatever it is, I can’t wait for the next hearing!

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