SHAH ALAM: Nasyid singer and composer Yasin Sulaiman has been sentenced to life imprisonment and 16 strokes of the cane by the High Court on Thursday (Aug 22) after being found guilty of three drug offences, Malay language daily Sinar Harian reports.
Judge Datuk Norsharidah Awang made the decision after allowing the prosecution's appeal to overturn the acquittal of Yasin, 49, by the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court on Nov 29 last year.
Upon hearing the verdict, Sinar Harian reported that the "Mimpi Laila" singer appeared sombre, while family members, including his 16-year-old daughter, wept in the public gallery of the court.
In this proceeding, Deputy Public Prosecutor Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin appeared as the appellant, while lawyer Ariff Azami Hussein represented Yasin, whose real name is Muhammad Yasin Sulaiman, as the respondent.
According to the first amended charge, Yasin was accused of possessing 193.7g of the dangerous drug cannabis at a condominium in Persiaran Surian Damansara Indah Resort Home, PJU 3, Kota Damansara, at 5.30pm on March 24, 2022.
The charge was made under Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and punishable under Section 39A(2) of the same act, which provides for life imprisonment or not less than five years and a minimum of 10 strokes of the cane if convicted.
For the second case, Yasin was accused of cultivating 17 cannabis plants in plastic pots filled with soil at the same location, time, and date.
He was charged under Section 6B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and punishable under Section 6B(3) of the same act, which carries a penalty of life imprisonment and a minimum of six strokes of the cane if convicted.
For the third charge, Yasin was accused of self-administering a dangerous drug, "11-nor-delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid", at the Narcotics Office of the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters (IPD) at 11.05pm on the same date.
For this offence, the charge was brought under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and punishable under Section 15(1) of the same act, which carries a fine of up to RM5,000 or a maximum of two years' imprisonment if convicted.
On Nov 29, 2023, Yasin was acquitted and discharged of the three drug cases, but the court ordered him to be placed under the care of Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta, Perak, for the duration of the Selangor Sultan's consent.
