MEX crash: Military officer charged with murder, claims trial to drink-driving

A military officer involved in a recent car crash on the MEX Highway was charged with murder at the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court this morning.

Jad Faid Arhan, 31, was accused of murdering Muzahid Millad at about 5.30am on the highway on April 23.

The victim was a Bangladeshi citizen and also a prominent gaming content creator.

The charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code carries the death penalty or a jail term of between 30 and 40 years, as well as 12 strokes of the rotan.

The accused, who is suspended from duty, nodded and said “I understand” when the charges were read to him before magistrate Illi Marisqa Khalizan.

However, no plea was recorded as murder cases fall under the High Court’s purview. The accused was also not offered any bail as murder is a non-bailable offence.

Under influence of intoxicating drinks

In a separate Magistrate’s Court, Jad claimed trial to two charges of drink-driving under Section 44(1A)(b) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

He was accused of driving a Ford Fiesta under the influence of intoxicating drinks, on the highway, which he was driving from Salak Selatan heading towards Jalan Tun Razak on the same day and time.

According to the charge sheet, the influence had rendered him incapable of properly controlling the vehicle, thus causing injuries to Nafisa Tabassum, who is a foreigner and a local man, Jailani Sapih.

The provision carries a maximum of seven to 10 years in jail, as well as a fine between RM30,000 and RM50,000.

The 31-year-old accused pleaded not guilty to the charges before magistrate Tg Syazwany Yasmin Tuan Roslan.

No bail was offered to the accused, given that Jad is already under custody for his murder case.

The two magistrates fixed July 21 for case mentions.

Deputy public prosecutors Nordin Ismail and Izzat Amir handled both prosecutions, while Nazreen Jaafar Abdullah represented the accused.

Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department chief Zamzuri Isa said on April 23 that the car driven by Jad was believed to have crossed into the opposite lane before colliding head-on with an e-hailing MPV.

Following the impact, Zamzuri said, the male passenger seated in the middle row died at the scene from severe head injuries, while the other passenger sustained bodily injuries and is receiving treatment at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

Zamzuri added that a breathalyser test conducted on the Ford Fiesta driver showed alcohol levels above the legal limit, while a urine test returned negative for drugs.

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