Five students from the National Defence University Malaysia were charged with the murder of cadet Zulfarkhan Osman Zulkarnain at the Magistrate's Court in Kuala Lumpur today.

The five are Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Azamuddin Md Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat and Mohamad Shobirin Sabri.

Meanwhile, another student, Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali was charged with abetting the five accused.

They were charged with murdering Zulfarkhan at Room 04 of Jebat Hostel on May 22, between 4.45am and 5.45am. If convicted, the six are staring at the death sentence. 

A court interpreter read out the charge which the accused said they understood. However, no plea was recorded.

Magistrate Siti Radziah Kamaruddin fixed Aug 14 for mention pending the post-mortem and chemist report.

DPP Nordin Ismail prosecuted.

Meanwhile, 19 students, including the six, were also charged under Section 330 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt to force a confession from Zulfarkhan for allegedly stealing a laptop.

Thirteen students, excluding the six facing the murder and abetment charges, were released on bond by the court. 

The 21-year-old electrical engineering student passed away at the Serdang Hospital on June 1, after he was found with bruises and burns on the body at an apartment, believed to have been physically abused.

The Higher Education Ministry and the university had promised to cooperate with the Malaysian Armed Forces and the police in the investigation.

Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the ministry has formed a special unit led by Armed Forces chief Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Nor, to report directly to him on the incident.