However, deputy public prosecutor N Joy Jothi said the trial would continue tomorrow.

“The hearing has been vacated because the four accused will only complete their quarantine period today,” he said, adding that the four had been in quarantine at the Alor Setar Prison in Kedah.

The prosecution had been due to cross-examine the 19th defence witness – Dr Rohayu Shahar Adnan, head of the Forensic Medicine Department at Sungai Buloh Hospital – today.

On July 31, 2019, High Court Judge Azman Abdullah ordered 18 Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) students, now aged 24, to enter their defence on charges of murdering, conspiring to murder and injuring Zulfarhan.

Five of them – Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Azamuddin Mod Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat and Mohamad Shobirin Sabri – are facing charges under Section 302 of the Penal Code with murdering Zulfarhan.

Another, Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali, was charged under Section 109 of the same law with abetting the murder.

The offences were allegedly committed in a hostel room at the university between 4.45am and 5.45am on May 22, 2017.

Both the charges provide for the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

The six, together with 12 others, were also ordered to make their defence for injuring Zulfarhan.

The 12 are Mohd Hafiz Fauzan Ismail, Mohamad Lukhmanul Hakim Mohd Zain, Ahmad Shafwan Berdal, Muhammad Amirul Asraff Mala, Luqman Hakim Shamsuri, Muhammad Sufi Mohd Mustapha, Noriznan Izzairi Noor Azhar, Muhamad Ashraf Abdullah, Muhammad Danial Firdaus Azmir, Muhammad Hasif, Muhammad Adib Iman and Mohamad Syazwan.

They were charged with intentionally injuring Zulfarhan to obtain a confession that he had stolen a laptop. The offence, under Section 330 of the Penal Code, read with Section 34, carries a jail term of up to seven years and a fine.

The offence was allegedly committed between 2.30am and 5.30am the day before the alleged murder.