SYED FATHUDDIN PUTRA BIN SYED A RAHMAN v PUBLIC PROSECUTOR

Q: Which legislation does [2023] SGHC 338 consider?

The judgment refers to Customs Act and Goods and Services Tax Act (Cap 117A). The statutes cited are listed in full on this page, each linking to its primary text.

[2023] SGHC 338 High Court (General Division) 29 November 2023 HC/MA 9067/2023/01 · HC/MA 9103/2023/01 33 min read

9 cases cited

Key facts

Court	High Court (General Division)
Decided	29 November 2023
Judges	Sundaresh Menon, Tay Yong Kwang, Vincent Hoong
Charges / claim	Criminal Procedure and Sentencing, Criminal Law
Counsel	Allen & Gledhill LLP, Attorney-General's Chambers, M/s S Skandarajah & Co, Agnes Chan, Isaac Tan, Jonathan Trachsel, Lim Shin Hui, Skandarajah s/o Selvarajah

Source: [2023] SGHC 338, High Court (General Division), decided 29 November 2023 — eLitigation. Updated 10 July 2026.

Catchwords

Criminal Procedure and Sentencing — Appeal Criminal Law — Statutory offences — Customs Act Criminal Procedure and Sentencing — Sentencing — Sentencing framework

Practice Areas

Criminal Procedure and Sentencing Criminal Law

Judges (3)

Sundaresh Menon Coram Tay Yong Kwang Delivered Vincent Hoong Coram

Counsel (8)

Allen & Gledhill LLP Firm Attorney-General's Chambers Firm M/s S Skandarajah & Co Firm Agnes Chan Counsel Respondent Isaac Tan Counsel Respondent Jonathan Trachsel Counsel Third Party Lim Shin Hui Counsel Respondent Skandarajah s/o Selvarajah Counsel Appellant

Parties (3)

Public Prosecutor Respondent Bhawal Sourov Appellant Syed Fathuddin Putra bin Syed A Rahman Appellant

Case Significance

SYED FATHUDDIN PUTRA BIN SYED A RAHMAN v PUBLIC PROSECUTOR [2023] SGHC 338 is a decision of the General Division of the High Court delivered by Tay Yong Kwang JCA on 29 November 2023, sitting with Sundaresh Menon CJ and Vincent Hoong J. It comprises Magistrate's Appeals Nos 9067 and 9103 of 2023, brought by Syed Fathuddin Putra bin Syed A Rahman and Bhawal Sourov against sentences for offences under section 128L(4) of the Customs Act. The appeals were heard together as they raised the common issue of whether the sentencing framework in Public Prosecutor v Pang Shuo [2016] 3 SLR 903 remains appropriate, following the High Court's comment in Ripon v Public Prosecutor [2023] 3 SLR 896 that the Pang Shuo graph was overly complex and technical.

[2023] SGHC 338 explained

SYED FATHUDDIN PUTRA BIN SYED A RAHMAN v PUBLIC PROSECUTOR ([2023] SGHC 338) is a Singapore judgment decided by the High Court (General Division) on 29 November 2023. It is categorised under Criminal Procedure and Sentencing and Criminal Law. It is a recent decision; within this corpus no later judgment has cited it yet. This page summarises what the reported decision covers and links the primary sources — the full judgment, the statutes it cites, and the other cases it engages with — so the decision can be read in context. It is reference information, not legal advice, and it does not state the outcome or any holding beyond what the official judgment records.

What is [2023] SGHC 338 about?

SYED FATHUDDIN PUTRA BIN SYED A RAHMAN v PUBLIC PROSECUTOR ([2023] SGHC 338) is a High Court (General Division) decision from 2023. Its published catchwords are “Criminal Procedure and Sentencing — Appeal”, “Criminal Law — Statutory offences — Customs Act”, and “Criminal Procedure and Sentencing — Sentencing — Sentencing framework”, which indicate the subject matter the judgment addresses. The full reasoning and orders are in the judgment itself, linked below.

Which legislation does [2023] SGHC 338 consider?

The judgment refers to Customs Act and Goods and Services Tax Act (Cap 117A). The statutes cited are listed in full on this page, each linking to its primary text.

What was Syed Fathuddin Putra v Public Prosecutor [2023] SGHC 338 about?

It concerned two sentencing appeals under section 128L(4) of the Customs Act, heard together by a three-judge High Court to reconsider whether the Pang Shuo [2016] sentencing framework remained appropriate. Tay Yong Kwang JCA delivered the grounds on 29 November 2023.

Which sentencing framework was reconsidered in [2023] SGHC 338?

The court examined the framework from Public Prosecutor v Pang Shuo [2016] 3 SLR 903 for Customs Act offences, prompted by Ripon v Public Prosecutor [2023] 3 SLR 896, which criticised the Pang Shuo graph as overly complex and technical.