THE Federal Court today upheld the death sentence imposed on a Sri Aman pharmacist convicted of murdering his wife in 2018.
A three-judge panel headed by Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang ruled unanimously against Wong Zing Haw, 48, after reviewing oral and written submissions for the case.
It concluded that the case involved one of the most heinous forms of homicide, which was the murder of his wife.
The other members of the panel were Datuk Nordin Hassan and Datuk Lee Swee Seng.
"Though there was no direct evidence linking the appellant to the murder, the circumstantial evidence was overwhelming, and the High Court and Court of Appeal were correct in finding Wong's defence a mere denial of the crime," said the panel.
The panel said the chain of proof was strong and consistent and there was no room for reasonable doubt.
In addressing recent legislative changes to the abolishment of the mandatory death sentence in Malaysia on July 4, 2023, the panel stressed that this case fell within the 'worst category of cases'.
Wong’s counsel Orlando Chua earlier argued that the court had the discretion to impose an alternative sentence instead of death, in line with the Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023.
He said the court should consider life imprisonment instead as a step towards more humane justice.
He also argued that there was no premeditation on the part of his client.
However, the prosecution said the evidence pointed to deliberate murder, pointing to the victim's severe injuries and disposal of the remains.
Mohd Zain Ibrahim stressed that the efforts to cover up showed clear intent and careful planning.
He pointed out that Wong was a licensed pharmacist and found to have notes about the victim’s body parts, three bottles of bleach to mask the smell of death, and a mixture of onions and lemons to conceal the odour in his house.
Wong who was found guilty under Section 302 of the Penal Code, owned a pharmacy in Sri Aman.
He was charged with the murder of his wife, Yang Xi, 31, a Chinese national between 9.30am on Feb 25, 2018, and 4.30pm on March 3, 2018.
Earlier reports said that Yang's decapitated head was spotted by anglers after it was washed up on the banks of Batang Lupar, along Jalan Skait Lama.
During the trial in the High Court, it was revealed that the father of two had chained his wife to a bed, killed her, and then chopped up her body into pieces using knives, saw blades, and a cleaver he had bought shortly after her disappearance.
Yang's remains were believed to have been dumped in various locations, including rivers and a cemetery.
Investigations by police also found a chilling handwritten list of body parts in Wong's notebook that matched the suspected dismemberment that read: "legs x2, head x1, hands x1, shoulder bone x5, pelvic x1, organ x1."
Wong's own daughter, aged just 6 at the time, testified that she saw her mother bound to the bed with chains, unresponsive, while her father stood over her.
"Mummy," she had cried out, but received no answer and she never saw her mother again.
Wong was arrested on March 4, 2018, after police found several inconsistencies in his statement regarding the disappearance of his wife.
The couple were married in 2011 and had two children together. – September 23, 2025
