Farmhand gets 10 years' jail for possessing grenade and machetes

MELAKA: A farmhand has been jailed 10 years and ordered to be given one stroke of the cane after he pleaded guilty to possessing a hand grenade and edged weapons.

Ayer Keroh Sessions judge Darmafikri Abu Adam ordered PS Tamil Kumaran, 36, to serve his prison sentence at Sungai Buloh Prison because he had a pending murder trial at the Shah Alam High Court.

In imposing the sentence on Friday (Feb 10), the judge ordered the prison term to begin from the date of Tamil Kumaran's arrest on Oct 24, 2019.

Tamil Kumaran, who was charged with two others, admitted to unlawful possession of a hand grenade in a car at the traffic light junction of the Alor Gajah-Melaka-Jasin Highway in Serkam here at about 12.15 pm on that day.

The charge was framed under Section 8 of the Explosives Act 1957 and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code. He was liable to jail of up to seven years or a RM10,000 fine, or both, upon conviction.

Tamil Kumaran was also charged with being in unlawful possession of weapons, including two machetes, on the same day and at the same place and time.

The charge, under Section 6 of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958, provides for a maximum of 10 years' jail and whipping upon conviction.

Tamil Kumaran was sentenced to five years' jail on each count, and a stroke of the cane for the second charge.

He was represented by Datuk Sheelan Arjunan, while DPP N. Siva Shangari prosecuted the case.