Repeat housebreaker jailed five years and caned in Batu Pahat

A 23-YEAR-OLD repeat offender has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and five strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to housebreaking and breaching a police supervision order under the Prevention of Crime Act 1959.

Delivering sentence at the Yong Peng Magistrates’ Court, Magistrate Arun Noval Dass said the punishment reflected the accused’s persistent criminal conduct.

“Since this case (housebreaking) is the fifth one, I am compelled to impose a whipping sentence on you,” he said, noting that the latest offence marked the fifth housebreaking case involving the accused.

Mohamad Arif Rosie, a former tyre shop assistant who is unmarried, changed his plea to guilty on both charges.

He is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence at Sungai Udang Prison in Melaka for a separate housebreaking offence.

Under the first charge, he admitted breaking into the home of a married couple, both aged 30, and stealing items including a water heater, vacuum cleaner, air conditioner, television, electric stove and a round dining table set.

The offence was committed at Desa Murni, Jalan Kluang, at approximately 6.30pm on 27 October last year.

He was charged under Section 457 of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of up to 14 years and a fine upon conviction.

For the second charge, he admitted breaching the conditions of a police supervision order by leaving a designated area without the permission of the Batu Pahat district police chief.

The breach occurred at Batu 6, Panchor, Jalan Kluang, at about 2.40am on 2 October last year. He was charged under Section 15(2)(f) of the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 and is punishable under Section 15(4) of the same Act.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Firdaus Ruslan conducted the prosecution, while the accused was unrepresented.

The court imposed three years’ imprisonment for the offence under the Prevention of Crime Act and two years for the housebreaking charge, with both sentences to run concurrently from the date of conviction. The five strokes of the cane were ordered in addition to the custodial term. - March 3, 2026