Road Rage: Salesman Gets 10 Years for Cleaver Attack

SHAH ALAM, July 8 — A 42-year-old salesman was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment and two strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court today after pleading guilty to a brutal meat cleaver attack on a motorcyclist following a highway road rage dispute.

Sessions Court Judge ‘Ainul Bashiirah Dona Don Biyajid handed down the sentence to Azmi Jantan and ordered his jail term to commence from his initial arrest date on June 11.

The criminal charge sheet stated that Azmi voluntarily caused grievous bodily harm using a lethal weapon at KM14.6 of the Federal Highway’s motorcycle lane, located near Section 13, at approximately 8:19 AM on June 11. The prosecution framed the case under Section 326 of the Penal Code, a provision that carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years behind bars alongside potential fines or whipping.

The facts of the case revealed that the victim, a corporate executive employed at a postal and courier services company, was riding his motorcycle to his office in Kuala Lumpur. After temporarily stopping along the designated highway motorcycle lane, he was suddenly approached by the accused, who aggressively set upon him with a meat cleaver.

The courier executive sustained catastrophic injuries during the assault, including multiple fractures to his shoulder, left arm, fingers, and wrist, alongside deep lacerations to his head.

Appearing in court without legal representation, Azmi pleaded for judicial leniency and a lighter penalty. However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Amir Saifullah Mohammad Sallehuddin strongly countered the request, urging the court to deliver a harsh sentence to match the extreme gravity of the offense.

“The weapon used was a meat cleaver, a sharp weapon capable of causing death, and the accused was fortunate that the victim survived,” Amir Saifullah argued before the bench.

The prosecution emphasized that the attack stemmed from something as trivial as an exchange of vehicle honking on the road, adding that the state must take a firm stance to safeguard public infrastructure.

“Public interest must also be considered as the incident arose from a trivial matter involving honking on the highway, which could create fear among other road users. A deterrent sentence is necessary to curb road bullying and extreme road rage,” the prosecutor stated.

-NMT