High Court to hear additional evidence, two new Indonesian witnesses in Paul Yong’s rape conviction appeal in January

IPOH, Nov 26 — The High Court here has tentatively set four days in January to call two new witnesses to testify on the additional evidence submitted by former Perak executive councillor Paul Yong Choo Kiong against his conviction for raping his former Indonesian maid.

Yong’s lawyer Salim Bashir said the victim’s lawyer and a notary public from Jakarta, Indonesia would be called to testify.

“For now, both of these witnesses will definitely appear to testify at the High Court here.

“While for the victim, we will try our best to bring her as well. We will inform the court if we are unable to do so,” he told reporters when met outside the court.

Salim also said the High Court has set January 13, 14, 21 and 22 for the trial during a case management hearing before High Court deputy registrar Nur Laila Mohamed Nazil.

“These are the tentative dates, as we are unsure what the witnesses from Jakarta will say,” he added.

The prosecution was led by State Prosecution director Muhamad Zaki Abdul Kudos.

Apart from Salim, Yong was also represented by lawyers Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik and Low Wei Loke.

This came after the Federal Court had allowed Yong to submit additional evidence to the High Court in Ipoh in his appeal against the rape conviction.

Meanwhile, Hisyam explained that the High Court will evaluate the additional evidence submitted by the defendant during the proceeding.

“These additional pieces of evidence consist of five documents. The High Court now will take the evidence and evaluate it subject to the submission made by both the defendant and prosecution.

“The High Court will then make an opinion and submit it to the Federal Court for the Federal Court to use it for the main appeal of the applicant,” he said.

Hisyam also said the Federal Court has fixed December 3 for case management concerning the development at the High Court here.

On March 1, this year, the Court of Appeal, in a split decision, dismissed Yong’s appeal and upheld his conviction for raping his 23-year-old Indonesian maid in a room at his house in Ipoh, between 8.15pm and 9.15pm on July 7, 2019.

The appellate court three-judge panel had, however, reduced Yong’s prison sentence from 13 years to eight years with two strokes of the cane.

This prompted Yong to appeal the decision to the Federal Court.

The appellate court panel had allowed a stay of execution pending disposal of the appeal at the Federal Court.

Yong was released on RM30,000 bail with one surety and ordered to surrender his passport to the court.