72-Year-Old Man Pleads Not Guilty to Murder of Dismembered Woman in Sabah
A 72-year-old senior citizen entered a not-guilty plea in Sabah High Court over the killing of a woman whose body was found dismembered in Sepanggar.
In a High Court session in Kota Kinabalu, 72-year-old Piluta Samad pleaded not guilty to the murder of 44-year-old Hamidah Husin @ Lisa, whose dismembered remains were discovered in Sepanggar. Judicial commissioner Dayang Ellyn Narisa Abang Ahmad read the charge, which alleges the killing occurred between 6 pm and 7 pm on 11 February 2026 at an unnumbered residence in Kampung Sri Kenangan, Jalan Sepanggar. The offence is charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, carrying a possible death sentence or 30-40 years imprisonment, with additional corporal punishment for male offenders under 50 if death is not imposed.
After an initial magistrate filing on 27 February and a mental-health evaluation ordered by Piluta’s counsel, the case was moved to the High Court on 8 September; a July 23 hospital report confirmed his fitness to stand trial. Prosecutors Naziah Mokhtar and deputy public prosecutor Samira Khalili presented the state’s case, while Piluta’s defense team comprised Datuk Ram Singh, Joan Goh, Ian Vun, Prem Elmer Ganasan and Prabjit Singh Gill. The court scheduled a pre-trial case-management hearing for 19 October.
Why it matters
The plea advances a high-profile murder trial that could carry the death penalty under Malaysian law.
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