![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F12%2F0de5ec72-yew-wei-liang-fmt-071223-1.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Yew, 45, was found guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder on Tuesday. Justice Julia Ibrahim said then that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
His sentence will start from the date of his arrest on Aug 10, 2019.
Yew was charged under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of up to 30 years and a fine.
He was previously charged with murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code after repeatedly running into Syed Danial on the North-South Expressway in Bandar Baru Bangi on Aug 10, 2019, resulting in his death at the scene.
In meting out the sentence today, Julia said the court had considered factors such as Yew’s background, the fact that this was his first offence, his cooperation during the investigation, and his right to a fair sentence.
“At the same time, the court needs to emphasise that cases like this need to educate the public,” she said.
“The court also considered the impact report from the victim’s family (wife).
“This incident is a tragedy that has impacted all parties, directly or indirectly, not only the victim’s side but also the accused’s wife and family.”
Earlier, Yew’s lawyer Wee Choo Keong requested a maximum jail term of six years.
He said it was “clearly unfair and unreasonable” for the court to attribute the death of 29-year-old Syed Danial solely to Yew.
“The accused had no plan or intention to cause the victim’s death. Instead, it was an unfortunate accident involving two parties,” said Wee.
However, deputy public prosecutor Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin requested that Yew be given a “heavy and proportionate” sentence of between 21 and 25 years behind bars.
“This case had a significant impact on society and (news about it) once went viral,” said Raja Zaizul Faridah.
“A heavy sentence should be imposed on the accused to teach him and the public a lesson so that people don’t make the same mistake if they are faced with difficult situations on the road.”
In July, Yew was ordered to enter his defence after the High Court found that he had initiated the provocation leading to Syed Danial’s death.
According to the judge, Yew had acted beyond his right to self-defence by repeatedly running into Syed Danial, although the threat against Yew had abated when Syed Danial ran away.
We are live on Telegram, subscribe here for breaking news and the latest announcements.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram