Cambodian maid Mey Sichan was found dead in a shophouse in Penang six years ago in a state of severe dehydration. Her cheeks and eye sockets were sunken. At the time of her death, she weighed a mere 26.1kg and there were fresh injuries on her body.

The couple, who were on death row for starving her to death, escaped with a 10-year jail term each when the Federal Court convicted them for a lesser offence.

According to Star Online, Chief Justice Tun Md Raus Sharif ordered store owner Soh Chew Tong, 48, and his wife Chin Chui Ling, 45, to be jailed for committing culpable homicide instead of murder.

Their lawyer K Kumaraendran said with one-third remission for good behaviour, the husband and wife would only need to serve four-and-a-half year as the couple has been in detention for almost three years.

Soh and Chin were initially convicted of murdering Mey, 24, at their home in Bukit Mertajam between Jan 1 and April 1, 2012. The deceased started working with the couple in July 2011.

Star Online reported that the couple looked stunned when the verdict was read out yesterday.

After the proceedings were adjourned, Chin started to cry and hugged her mother and another family member.

On Oct 7, 2015, Soh and Chin were sentenced to death after the Court of Appeal restored their conviction to the original charge for the murder.

Prior to that, the Penang Sessions Court had sentenced the couple to 24 years' jail on May 16, 2013 on a reduced charge of committing culpable homicide.

Senior lawyer Gopal Sri Ram, who was also representing the couple, said his clients had shown remorse and asked the apex court for a lesser sentence.

Deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud said a message should be sent to the public.