JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA - A 22-year old van driver has been sentenced to death by the High Court here for the murder of an 18-year-old waitress on Christmas Day in 2006.

K. Kartigeyan was also sentenced to 20 years' jail term and 15 strokes of the cane yesterday for a second charge of raping the victim.

He appeared calm when Justice Azahar Mohamed meted out the sentence.

Kartigeyan was charged with killing Choo Meng Luh of Taman Ungku Tun Aminah between 11.40pm on Christmas eve and 5.40am on Christmas Day three years ago.

He was 19 when he committed the crime.

Choo, who worked at a fast-food outlet in Singapore, was raped and hit with a blunt object before she died. Her body was dumped in Hock Lam Estate in Gelang Patah.

In handing out the sentence, Justice Azahar explained that the post-mortem report also showed that there were injuries on the victim's genitalia which proved that she was raped.

'The victim also suffered other wounds from being punched or slapped by her attacker,' he said, adding that the victim was sexually assaulted not more than 24 hours before she was killed.

Justice Azahar said Katigeyan's DNA also matched the samples taken from the victim.

According to newspaper reports, Choo had only worked at the fast-food outlet for three days before she was murdered.

She was believed to have been the last passenger of the van transporting workers for the fast-food outlet and driven by Katigeyan.