The High Court has dismissed Hafizul Hawari’s appeal to have his prison sentence for shooting his wife at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and injuring her bodyguard calculated from the date of his arrest in Kota Bharu in 2024.
Judge Datuk Shamsulbahri Ibrahim ruled that the Sepang Sessions Court’s decision to make Hafizul’s prison term begin after he completes his sentence for separate offences in Kota Bharu was lawful and fair.
Hafizul faced two charges in Sepang involving the shooting incident, while in Kota Bharu, he was charged with seven offences involving illegal possession of a firearm, identity cards belonging to other people and driving a car with a fake registration number.
He was sentenced to six years in prison and six strokes of the cane for the Kota Bharu offences, with the sentence calculated from the date of his arrest. He was also sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment for the Sepang case.
The court ordered the Sepang sentence to begin only after he completes his sentence for the Kota Bharu offences.
Dissatisfied with the decision, Hafizul appealed for both sentences to run concurrently.
In a written judgment uploaded to the judiciary’s system last Monday, Shamsulbahri said calculating a prison sentence from the date of arrest was not an automatic right for a convicted person. Instead, it was subject to the court’s discretion based on the facts and circumstances of each case.
“The lower court’s decision was not unlawful, as the relevant provision allows a new prison sentence to begin after an earlier sentence has been completed,” he said.
Shamsulbahri added that the decision was consistent with Section 292 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which empowers courts to determine whether a prison sentence imposed on someone already serving a sentence should begin immediately or after the existing term ends.
The High Court therefore dismissed Hafizul’s appeal and upheld the Sepang Sessions Court’s order dated December 5, 2025.
Hafizul pleaded guilty to two charges
Hafizul previously pleaded guilty to two charges at the Sepang Sessions Court on December 5, 2025, involving the attempted murder of his wife, Farah Md Isa, 39, and causing grievous hurt to bodyguard Mohd Nur Hadith Zaini using a firearm.
He was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for attempted murder under Section 307 of the Penal Code and seven years for causing grievous hurt using a firearm under Section 326 of the same code.
The two sentences were ordered to run concurrently with each other, but only after he completes the prison term imposed in the separate Kota Bharu proceedings.
His appeal concerned the commencement date of the sentence, rather than his conviction or the length of his imprisonment.
In his appeal, the defence argued that Hafizul had been detained without bail from April 15, 2024, until December 5, 2025, a period of nearly 20 months, and that this time should be taken into account when determining his sentence.
The defence also highlighted that he had pleaded guilty at an early stage, had no previous criminal convictions before the incident and had shown remorse.
What happened at KLIA?
According to the charges, Hafizul attempted to kill Farah at the international arrivals hall on Level 3 of Terminal 1 at KLIA at 1.09am on April 14, 2024.
The High Court noted that Hafizul knew his wife was returning from performing umrah. He waited near a pillar close to a lift before opening fire at Farah and her bodyguard.
The bodyguard suffered a gunshot wound that penetrated his abdomen and damaged his intestines. He required emergency surgery and received treatment at Cyberjaya Hospital for 13 days.
Hafizul fled the airport after the shooting but was arrested in Kota Bharu on April 15, 2024, while driving a vehicle bearing a fake registration number.
Under Section 307 of the Penal Code, attempted murder carries a maximum prison term of 10 years and a fine, or up to 20 years’ imprisonment if the act causes hurt.
Section 326 provides for a maximum prison term of 20 years, and a fine or whipping, for voluntarily causing grievous hurt using a dangerous weapon or means.
Separate convictions in Kota Bharu
In the Kota Bharu case, Hafizul was convicted of seven offences, including illegal possession of a Glock 19 pistol, possession of 33 rounds of ammunition without a licence, possession of firecrackers without a permit, possession of three identity cards belonging to other people and driving a vehicle with a fake registration number.
The offences were committed in a white Honda Civic at the grounds of KPJ Perdana Specialist Hospital at about 2pm on April 15, 2024.
For the first charge involving the illegal possession of a firearm, he received six years’ imprisonment and six strokes of the cane.
He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each for the second and third charges involving ammunition and firecrackers. For the fourth to sixth charges involving identity cards, he received six months’ imprisonment for each charge, while the seventh charge involving the fake vehicle registration number carried a one-year prison term.
The sentences were ordered to run concurrently, effective from the date of his arrest on April 15, 2024.
The firearm charge was brought under Section 8 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971, which provides for imprisonment of up to 14 years and a minimum of six strokes of the cane upon conviction.
The ammunition charge involved 33 rounds of PMC .380 Auto ammunition and was brought under Section 8(a) of the Arms Act 1960. The offence carries a maximum prison term of seven years, a fine of up to RM10,000, or both.
The firecracker charge was brought under Section 8 of the Explosives Act 1957, while the identity card offences fell under Regulation 25(1)(o) of the National Registration Regulations 1990.
The fake registration number charge was brought under Section 108(3)(f) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
