PETALING JAYA: Singer and composer Yasin Sulaiman has been sentenced to life in prison along with 16 strokes of the cane at the Shah Alam High Court today after he was found guilty in three drug-related charges in 2022.
The “Mimpi Laila” singer’s sentence was handed down by judge Datuk Norsharidah Awang after granting the prosecution’s appeal against Petaling Jaya Sessions Court judge Faiz Dziyauddin’s previous decision in acquitting the singer.
Yasin, 48, who had been previously admitted in Hospital Bahagia in Perak was subsequently transported straight to Kajang prison by the police following the sentencing, Berita Harian reported.
“Today is a dark day for me,“ Yasin was quoted as saying.
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The prosecution was handled by deputy public prosecutor Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin dan Ahmad Zuhaini Mahamad Amin while Yasin was represented by lawyer Ariff Azami Hussein.
According to the first charge, the singer was accused of possessing cannabis amounting to 193.7 grams (g) in a condominium located in Kota Damansara at 5.30pm on March 24 2022 to which he was charged according to Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
He can be punished under Section 39A(2) of the same act which carries a life-term prison sentence or not exceeding five years and can be punished with not more than 10 strokes of the cane if convicted.
Meanwhile, the second charge stated that Yasin planted cannabis in 17 plastic pots on the same day for which he was charged under Section 6B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and can receive punishment under Section 6B(3) of the same act as well as the Penal Code - also involving a life-long prison sentence and not exceeding six strokes of the cane if convicted.
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In the third charge, Yasin was also charged for self-administering the drug “11-nor-delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol-9- carboxylic acid” at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters (IPD) narcotics office on the same day at 11.05pm.
For the offence, the charge was brought under Section 15 (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act (ADB) 1952 and can be punished under the Section 15 (1) of the same act which carries the penalty of a fine not over RM5,000 or a prison sentence up to two years if convicted.
