Five local men were charged today in the Magistrates’ Court over the murder of 22-year-old Francis Chang Ze at an apartment on Jalan Sungai Tapang last December.
Only two of the accused were present in court, while arrest warrants were issued for the remaining three. The court set February 16, 2026, for the return of these warrants.
Before Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan, the two present nodded to indicate they understood the charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read with Section 34. Section 302 carries the death penalty, or imprisonment of 30 to 40 years, and if not sentenced to death, a minimum of 12 strokes of the rotan upon conviction.
No plea was recorded as the case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court, and bail was denied since murder is a non-bailable offence. The next mention was scheduled for February 16, 2026, pending the post-mortem report.
According to the charge, the accused, along with others, allegedly killed Francis Chang Ze at the apartment on December 1, 2024, at around 4.30am. Police were alerted to an altercation at the premises and later found the victim fatally slashed inside one of the rooms.
Deputy public prosecutors Chuah Kai Sheng and Ahmad Fauzulutfi Suriani appeared for the prosecution, while the two present accused were unrepresented.
