Clerk grateful she avoided the noose over drug charges

KUALA LUMPUR: A 35-year-old clerk escaped a possible date with the hangman after she was acquitted of seven drug-related offences, including drug trafficking.

Siti Aisah Noordin shed tears of joy as she was embraced by a family member after the decision was delivered at the High Court here yesterday.

In his decision at the end of the prosecution’s case, Justice Azhar Abdul Hamid ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against the accused.

He said the prosecution also failed to call Siti Aisah’s husband to testify despite him having been arrested with her.

Siti Aisah was accused of trafficking 59.98g of methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), an offence under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which used to carry a mandatory death sentence.

(The abolition of the mandatory death sentence went into effect yesterday).

She also faced four counts of having in her possession several types of drugs – 3.59g of ketamine, 0.76g of MDMA, 403.63g of ketamine and 1.1g of nimetazepam.

The charges were framed under Section 12(2) of the Act, punishable under Section 12(3) of the same law.

The offence carries a fine of up to RM100,000 or a maximum of five years jail, or both, if convicted.For the sixth charge, the accused allegedly had in her possession 16.86g of methamphetamine.

The offence, under Section 12(2) of the Act, is punishable under Section 39A(1), which carries a jail term of between two and five years and between three and nine lashes of the whip, upon conviction.

Siti Aisah was also accused of having in her possession 90.98g of clozapine, an offence under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act, which carries a maximum fine of RM10,000 or a jail term of up to four years, or both.

The offences were allegedly committed at two different premises at Jalan 3/18a off Jalan Ipoh Batu 5 in Taman Mastiara between 9.30pm and 10pm on April 20, 2020.

The accused was represented by lawyer Maanveer Singh, while deputy public prosecutor Goh Ai Rene prosecuted.