The Federal Court has dismissed Paul Yong’s leave application to review his rape conviction, upholding the finality of the judicial process.
PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court has dismissed a final bid by former Tronoh assemblyman Paul Yong Choo Kiong to review his conviction and sentence for rape.
A three-member panel led by Chief Judge of Malaya Datuk Seri Hashim Hamzah unanimously ruled the application failed to meet the high legal threshold required.
“We are of the view that parties have been given full opportunity. There is no breach of natural justice. We therefore dismiss the application,” said Justice Hashim.
Yong’s counsel had argued his client suffered a miscarriage of justice as his right to be heard was denied.
He claimed the trial judge failed to consider Yong’s police statement given during the investigation.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim countered that the facts had been thoroughly argued at previous appeal levels.
“It is inappropriate for the questions of fact and law to be re-litigated at this stage. If that is the case, then there is no finality in the proceedings,” he said.
Yong, 55, is currently serving his jail sentence at Kajang Prison.
The Federal Court had previously upheld his conviction and sentence on October 1, 2025.
He was initially sentenced by the High Court in July 2022 to 13 years’ imprisonment and two strokes of the cane.
The Court of Appeal later reduced his prison term to eight years while upholding the corporal punishment.
The High Court found him guilty of raping a 23-year-old Indonesian domestic helper at his Ipoh residence in July 2019.
In dismissing his final appeal, the Federal Court held that the victim was a credible and convincing witness.
The court affirmed the High Court was correct in accepting her testimony as the basis for conviction.