Nasi lemak seller to serve life in prison over homemade rifles

SHAH ALAM: A nasi lemak seller whose hobby was to 'manufacture' homemade air rifles was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to be given six strokes of the cane by the High Court here after pleading guilty to the offence.

Abdul Wahab Mohammad Noor, 45, was also imposed one year's jail by Justice Datuk Mohd Sofian Abd Razak for possession of an imitation Python 357 revolver.

He was further jailed five years and ordered to be given two strokes of the cane on the third charge of possession of 810 pieces of screw deemed to raise suspicion they were meant for illicit purposes.

The judge ordered all three sentences to run concurrently effective from his arrest on April 2, 2009.

Abdul Wahab who committed all three offences at No.2893, Batu 15, Paya Jaras Hilir, Petaling near here at 9.30pm on April 2, 2009 had initially claimed trial to the charges.

However, in the course of the hearing, after nine witnesses had been called by the prosecution, he opted to change his plea.

The judge in meting out the punishment said Abdul Wahab was fortunate to be spared the death sentence, which was provided for under Section 12(1) of the Weapons Act 1960.

"Unlike drug-trafficking, the prosecution in your case has no power to reduce the charge. So it all depends on me. But I am satisfied that you did it as a hobby, albeit a very dangerous one.

"If you do get a pardon (from the Sultan) don't repeat the offence. For now you are heading to the prison; learn a skill that is more appropriate, like, making shoes or tailoring. I hope you will repent and accept this as fate," advised the judge.

Earlier, his counsel S.S.Ravichandran mitigating for a lighter sentence said Abdul Wahab had two wives and 11 school-going children to support.

"He made the air rifles as a hobby on the request of his customers. The witnesses who had bought the weapon said they had used it to hunt quails, jungle fowls and small wild animals. There is no evidence to show the weapons had been used to hurt humans," he submitted.

However Deputy Public Prosecutor Fazillah Begum Abdul Ghani countered, "I don't deny that witnesses' evidence showed the air rifles were only meant for a hobby.

"But we cannot dismiss the testimony of the weaponry officer (from the Selangor Police Contingent headquarters) that a homemade weapon is still dangerous and can cause death". -- BERNAMA

Nasi lemak seller to serve life in prison over homemade rifles

SHAH ALAM: A nasi lemak seller whose hobby was to 'manufacture' homemade air rifles was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to be given six strokes of the cane by the High Court here after pleading guilty to the offence.

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