KUALA LUMPUR – The decision on whether nasyid singer and composer Muhammad Yasin Sulaiman will be called to enter his defence or be acquitted of his drug charges will be known tomorrow at the Petaling Jaya sessions court here.
Judge Faiz Dziyauddin is scheduled to deliver the decision at the end of the prosecution case at 2pm.
If the court’s decision favours the prosecution, Yasin, 48, will be called to enter his defence. Otherwise, the celebrity will be freed.
On September 15, the prosecution closed its case after calling seven witnesses in the trial which began on August 28.
The witnesses included chemist Dr J. Saravanan Kumar, investigating officer Muhammad Amirul Mukmin Aziz, science officer (life chemistry) at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital’s pathology department, Rusli Ibrahim, plant biotechnology expert Prof S. Sreeramanan and Darwis Aripin, the intelligence, operations and detention officer at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters’ narcotics crime investigation division.
Deputy public prosecutors Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin and Ahmad Zuhaini Mahamad Amin prosecuted, while lawyer Ariff Azami Hussein represented Yasin.
The Mimpi Laila singer was charged with self-administration of the drug “11-nor-delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol-9- carboxylic acid” at the narcotics office of the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters at 11.05pm on March 24 last year.
The charge framed under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and punishable under Section 15(1) of the same act, carries a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or a maximum jail term of two years if convicted.
He was also charged with possessing cannabis-type drugs weighing 193.7g and cultivating 17 cannabis plants in plastic pots at his residence at Persiaran Surian Damansara Indah Resort Homes, PJU 3, Kota Damansara here at 5.30pm on the same date.
The drug possession charge framed under Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act and punishable under Section 39A(2) of the same act carries life imprisonment or not less than five years with no less than 10 strokes of the cane, if convicted.
On cannabis cultivation, the charge is framed under Section 6B(1)(a) of the DDA and punishable under Section 6B(3) of the same Act, which provides for life imprisonment and whipping of not less than six strokes, upon conviction. – October 2, 2023