Former Felda clerk jailed for misappropriating bereavement funds

A FORMER administrative assistant at the Felda Sungai Panching Timur office has been sentenced to three months in prison and fined RM20,000 after pleading guilty to misappropriating RM41,652.42 in bereavement aid intended for the families of seven deceased Felda settlers.

Judge Sazlina Safie handed down the sentence against Nurul Syafiha Awang Za, 36, and ordered that the jail term begin immediately. Failure to pay the fine would result in an additional six months’ imprisonment.

According to the charge, Nurul Syafiha was entrusted with the cash between February 2018 and 2019 for disbursement to beneficiaries but dishonestly used the funds for personal purposes. The offence took place at the Felda Sungai Panching Timur office.

She was charged under Section 406 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, whipping, and a fine upon conviction.

During mitigation, her lawyer Datuk Syed Azimal Amir Syed Abu Bakar pleaded for leniency, citing that his client is currently unemployed and is the mother of three children, all still in school.

Prosecuting officer Kamariah Seman from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) left the matter of sentencing to the court’s discretion. - June 30, 2025