Juraimi Husin, assistant to Bomoh Mona Fandey, was given a last-minute reprieve from the gallows when the Pahang Pardons Board allowed a stay of his death sentence pending a court hearing, his lawyer Karpal Singh said today.

Karpal said that the board agreed to temporarily adjourn the death sentence pending Juraimi's application to the High Court questioning whether the two-year period taken by the Board to decide on his petition for pardon would constitute "inhumane or degrading punishment".

"The Pahang Pardons Board agreed at its meeting on April 30 to defer the execution of Juraimi pending the hearing," said Karpal.

Karpal said the sentencing of Mona and her husband Mohamad Affandi Abdul Rahman, too, should be stayed since their cases will also be affected by the declaration Juraimi is seeking from the High Court.

Mona, whose real name is Maznah Ismail, Mohamad Affandi and Juraimi's petition for a royal pardon was rejected by the board on April 4. A pardon was their last hope of escaping the gallows. They had wanted their death sentences to be commuted to one of life imprisonment.

Eighteen parts

The three were sentenced to death by the Temerloh High Court on Feb 9, 1995, for murdering former Batu Talam state assembly representative Muslin Idris.

Their appeals to the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court were dismissed in 1997 and 1999 respectively. They had then petitioned the Pahang Pardons Board as the offence was committed in that state.

Following the board's decision to dismiss the pardon, Karpal sought the stay of execution pending a court application challenging the decision.

The three committed the murder at an unnumbered house in Kampung Peruas, Ulu Dong, Raub, between 10pm on July 2 and midnight on July 6, 1993.

Mazlan was reported missing and his remains were found buried 1.8m beneath a store room in an uncompleted house about 4.30am on July 22, 1993. His body had been cut into 18 parts.