PETALING JAYA – Nasyid singer and songwriter Muhammad Yasin Sulaiman has been ordered to enter his defence on all three drug charges at the sessions court, here today.
Sessions court judge Faiz Dziyauddin ordered so after making a maximum evaluation of all seven witnesses that had testified throughout the prosecution stage.
He found that the prosecution has successfully cited credible evidence, and that a prima facie case has been made against the accused.
He then gave the 48-year-old accused three options, to either give sworn evidence from the witness box, give an unsworn statement from the dock where he cannot be cross-examined, or choose to remain silent, in which the court must proceed to convict him.
The singer, clad in a black collared t-shirt, appeared calm as he sat through the hearing. Also present in the court gallery was his family member and singer Faizal Tahir, who came in support of the accused.
Yasin then told the court that he had chosen to remain silent, while his lawyer Ariff Azami Hussein informed the court that the defence will call their first witness to testify today.
Yasin faces one count of possessing 193.7g of cannabis and one count of cultivating 17 cannabis plants in plastic pots at his house, located at Persiaran Surian Damansara Indah Resort Homes, PJU 3, Kota Damansara.
His charges were framed under Section 39A(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries a punishment of imprisonment between five years to a lifetime, and a maximum 20 strokes of rotan, as well as Section 6B(1)(a) of the same Act, that provides life imprisonment and at least six strokes of rotan, respectively, upon conviction.
He was also charged with one count of ingesting cannabis at the Petaling Jaya District Headquarters Narcotics Office on March 24 last year, which the offence was framed under Section 15(1)(a) and punishable under Section 15(1) of the same Act, that carries a maximum RM5,000 fine not exceeding RM5,000 or maximum two years jail term if convicted.
Previously, on March 31 last year, he was charged with another count of trafficking 214g of cannabis at his house, which was framed under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which is punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act that carries death penalty or life imprisonment with maximum 15 strokes of rotan if found guilty.
However, he was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for the drug trafficking offence on July 6 last year. – October 3, 2023