LABUAN — A 37-year-old local man was charged in the Magistrate’s Court here today with the murder of his two-month-old daughter, who died from severe head injuries earlier this month.
The accused, Azmi bin Amat, was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, and if not sentenced to death, must also be punished with not less than 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction.
No plea was recorded after the charge was read out before Magistrate Dr. Melissa Chia Pui Fung, as murder cases fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
According to the facts of the case, the police received a report from the Labuan Hospital at around 2.40 am on May 9, 2026, regarding a two-month-old infant girl who was admitted under suspicion of being abused. The infant succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment.
A subsequent post-mortem examination revealed that the victim suffered severe head injuries caused by blunt force trauma, as well as multiple old rib fractures on her body.
Investigations disclosed that the incident occurred at an unnumbered house in Kampung Bukit Kuda, where the suspect had allegedly inflicted the injuries on his biological daughter.
Prosecuting Officer ASP Ruslan Tarai, from the Labuan District Criminal Investigation Department, informed the court that the prosecution expects to call a total of 22 witnesses during the trial.
The court fixed June 23, 2026, for mention of the case.
Azmi was ordered to be remanded further under Section 259 of the Criminal Procedure Code and will be detained at the Kepayan Prison in Kota Kinabalu pending the next court date.
