Two of the seven teenage suspects arrested in connection with a deadly fire at a tahfiz school were charged with 23 counts of murder each at the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate's Court today.

The murder charges were under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

According to the charge sheet, the two were also charged under Section 34 of the Penal Code, which states that “each of several persons liable for an act done by all, in like manner as if done by him alone.”

The next mention date for the case has been fixed for Nov 28.

The seven suspects, aged between 11 and 18, were accused of committing arson at the school, which claimed the lives of 21 students and two teachers on Sept 14.

Police said the arson was a result of mocking between the group of teenagers and the tahfiz school students.

In a separate court, five of the suspects were charged under Section 15(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act for allegedly using ganja and syabu.

Two of them pleaded guilty while the other three pleaded not guilty.

Meanwhile, an 18-year-old suspect had his charges, also under the Dangerous Drugs Act, read out to him in yet another court, before magistrate Umzarul An Nur Umar.

The two charges were both under Section 15(1) as well, for allegedly using ganja and syabu.