A 23-year-old man who was injured in a house fire that claimed the lives of his mother and foster sister was charged with two counts of murder at the Magistrates’ Court here today.
No plea was recorded from Daniel Qayyum Kamalrolzlan when the charges were read to him before Magistrate Balqis Roslin, as murder cases fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
On the first charge, Daniel Qayyum is accused of murdering his mother, Hayani Yaakob, 51, at their rented house in Lorong Nakhoda 5, Taman Teluk Air Tawar, at about 9.45am on Dec 10. He is also accused of murdering a six-year-old girl, his foster sister, at the same location and time.
The charges were framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years. If the death penalty is not imposed, the accused is also liable to a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.
Daniel Qayyum indicated that he understood the charges by nodding his head. He appeared calm in court, tilting his head slightly as the charges were read.
Prosecuting officer Inspector Nor Idayu Yusoff told the court that no bail was offered and requested a mention date pending the submission of the post-mortem report. Magistrate Balqis set Jan 29 next year for mention and confirmed that bail would not be granted.
Earlier, Daniel Qayyum arrived at the Butterworth court at about 8.27am under police escort. Yesterday marked the final day of his week-long remand.
In the Dec 10 incident, Hayani and her adopted daughter, known only as Andra, were burnt to death when their rented house in Lorong Nakhoda 5, Taman Rathna, caught fire. Their charred remains were found lying side by side near the main door.
Daniel Qayyum, who works in the oil and gas industry in Pengerang, Johor, sustained injuries after being trapped under a collapsed section of the roof. Police later identified him as the suspect in the case.
Meanwhile, Hayani’s former husband, Kamalrolzlan Muhammad, 57, said he has yet to claim the remains of his ex-wife and adopted daughter for burial as DNA identification is still pending.
“I was told the process would take about three months,” he said.
