Malaysia's Court of Appeal on May 5, 2026, increased Rosmaini Abdul Raof's jail term to 14 years after he was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm to his pregnant wife, Jahidah Nordin @ Sylvester, five years ago. [1]
The court raised the sentence from 10 years imposed earlier by the High Court. Rosmaini had pleaded not guilty on June 17, 2021, to the charge of causing grievous bodily harm to his third ex-wife. [1]
Judge Datuk Noorin Badaruddin said, "This case involves the destruction of two lives," as the panel reviewed the impact of the assault on Jahidah and the child conceived during the incident. [1]
The victim is now in a permanent vegetative state with irreversible neurological damage, including brain haemorrhage and fractures. She needs full-time care and was described by the court as a "living corpse" with no hope of recovery. [1]
The child conceived during the assault suffered developmental delays and disabilities, according to the facts before the court. [1]
The case moved through several courts before the appeal ruling. The Sessions Court convicted and sentenced Rosmaini to 10 years in prison on Dec. 9, 2024, and the High Court upheld that sentence on Nov. 4, 2025, while allowing postponement of the sentence's execution pending appeal. [1]
The Court of Appeal's ruling on May 5, 2026, leaves Rosmaini facing the longer prison term after the appeals process in the case. [1]
