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'Basikal Lajak' Case: Sam Ke Ting's Leave To Appeal The High Court's Decision Granted

The convicted driver's hearing is set at the Court of Appeal for Monday, 18 April.

Cover image via Zain Ahmed/New Straits Times

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27-year-old Sam Ke Ting, whom the Johor Bahru High Court on 13 April sentenced to six years in jail and RM6,000 fine for the death of eight teenagers, has been granted leave to appeal the decision

Her appeal is set to be heard at 9am on Monday, 18 April at the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya.

According to a report in Malaysiakini, the hearing is most likely to be the 27-year-old's application for a stay of execution, pending the appeal against her conviction and sentencing.

Sam had filed for leave to appeal on 14 April, a day after the Johor Bahru High Court found her guilty under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333) for causing death by reckless driving when she rammed into a group of teens riding modified bicycles ('basikal lajak') back in February 2017.

Judge Abu Bakar Katar had also rejected the defence's application for a stay of execution and sent Sam straight to prison. He ordered her to secure leave to appeal from the Court of Appeal first.

Sam, who worked as a clerk, had been acquitted twice before

Her acquittal was, however, overturned by the High Court on 13 April.

The High Court also disqualified her from driving for three years, effective immediately after she completes her prison sentence. She was ordered to serve another six months in prison if she failed to pay the fine.

The first time Sam was acquitted was in October 2019. She was ordered to enter defence by the Johor Bahru High Court in February 2021. The Magistrates' Court then acquitted her again in October last year.

Following which, Attorney General (AG) Tan Sri Idrus Harun instructed the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) to file an appeal against Sam's acquittal last year, which led to yesterday's sentencing.

After the High Court decision, multiple online petitions were set up, demanding justice for Sam over the "unacceptable" sentence:

Meanwhile, the families of teenagers in the 'basikal lajak' incident have expressed their gratitude and relief over the High Court's ruling:

On the other hand, Najib has defended himself after the Opposition made comparisons between the case with his corruption case:

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