A former policeman convicted for killing Spoon singer Sabi'ul Malik Shafiee had his natural life imprisonment commuted to life imprisonment of 33 years under the Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of the Federal Court) Act.
The Federal Court five-man bench led by Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat ordered 57-year-old Mohd Ya'cob Demyati, who had been behind bars for 23 years, to serve his sentence from the date of his arrest, which was Jan 4, 2000. The former police lance corporal is among 13 prisoners whose review applications were heard by the bench, which also consists of Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah and Federal Court judges Datuk Sri Hasnah Mohammed Hashim, Datuk Nordin Hassan and Datuk Abu Bakar Jais. Mohd Ya'cob was convicted and sentenced to death by the High Court for killing Sabi’ul, also known as Along, at the roadside of KM 28, Jalan Kuala Klawang-Genting Peras, Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan on Dec 26, 199