KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court ordered the National Registration Department (NRD) to issue a death certificate for murdered cosmetics queen Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya.
Judge Datuk Asmabi Mohamad allowed the application by the deceased's five children to quash a NRD director's refusal to issue the document for the millionaire, who was murdered five years ago.
She however made no order to cost.
Counsel Muhammad Iskandar Ismail appeared for Erwan Suwari Rizuwan Buhari and his siblings, Md Erwan Nasri, Erni Erinawati Sofia, Erni Rineelawati and Siti Nur Fatimah.
The applicants, aged between 18 and 29, sought the death certificate so they can administer their mother's estate and distribute it to the next of kin.
On July 25 last year, the NRD director informed them via letter that the department could only consider issuing the death certificate once the victim's death was confirmed by the Court of Appeal, which is currently hearing an appeal by four men convicted of the murder.
Former lawyer N. Pathmanabhan, 45, and his farm hands, T. Thilaiyalagan, 24, R. Matan, 25, and R. Kathavarayan, 35, were sentenced to death by the Shah Alam High Court on May 23, 2013, for the murder of Sosilawati, 47, and three others.
The other three were the victim's driver Kamaruddin Shamsuddin, 44, bank officer Noorhisham Mohamad, 38, and lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32.
Pathmanabhan, Thilaiyalagan, Matan, and Kathavarayan were found guilty of committing the multiple murders at Ladang Gadong, Lot 2001, Jalan Tanjung Layang, Tanjung Sepat in Banting, between 8.30pm and 9.45pm on Aug 30,
2010.
Senior federal counsel Maisarah Juhari appeared for NRD in today's matter.