Da'i Syed's final appeal against rape conviction to be decided today

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal here is scheduled to deliver its decision today on celebrity preacher Da'i Syed's final appeal to set aside his conviction and 10-year prison sentence and three strokes of the cane for rape.

The three-member panel, chaired by Datuk Azman Abdullah, is scheduled to sit with Datuk Mohd Radzi Abdul Hamid and Datuk Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid to hear the final appeal by Da'i Syed, whose real name is Syed Shah Iqmal Syed Mohd Shaiful, 31.

Syed Shah Iqmal, dressed in a white robe and accompanied by his wife, Hana Ismail, arrived at the court at 8.55am.

On Dec 10, 2020, Syed Shah Iqmal pleaded not guilty to raping a 23-year-old woman at the time in a condominium room in I-City, Section 7, at 1.35am on Sept 11, 2019.

The charge was brought under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum jail term of 20 years and whipping upon conviction.

On April 10, 2023, the Shah Alam Sessions Court acquitted and discharged Syed Shah Iqmal after ruling that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him at the close of its case.

However, the Shah Alam High Court subsequently allowed the prosecution's appeal and ordered him to enter his defence against the charge.

On Aug 30, 2024, Sessions Court judge Adlin Abdul Majid sentenced him to 10 years in prison and three strokes of the cane.

He was ordered to begin serving his sentence on the same day.

After spending 21 days at Kajang Prison, Syed Shah Iqmal was temporarily released by the High Court here pending the hearing of his main appeal to set aside his conviction and sentence.