Singer Yasin escapes drug trafficking charge carrying death penalty

PETALING JAYA: Nasyid singer and composer Muhammad Yasin Sulaiman today escaped a drug trafficking charge which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment, after the prosecution made a withdrawal.

Selangor prosecution director Khairul Azreem Mamat informed Magistrate Muhammad Iskandar Zainol that the prosecution had applied for Muhammad Yasin, 47, to be given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA), and that the latter would be charged with two new charges.

Lawyers Ariff Azami Hussein, Mohd Yusmadi Mohd Yusoff and Azizul Syariman Mat Yusoff who represented Muhammad Yasin did not object to the application.

Muhammad Iskandar then granted the DNAA to the accused.

Muhammad Yasin was previously charged with trafficking cannabis weighing about 214gm at his residence at Persiaran Surian Damansara Indah Resort Home, PJU 3, Kota Damansara here at 5.30 pm, on March 24.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Yasin pleaded not guilty to the new charges.

He was charged with ingesting the drug '11-nor-delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid' at the Narcotics Office of the Petaling Jaya District Headquarters (IPD) at 11.05 pm on March 24.

The 'Mimpi Laila' singer was charged under Section 15 (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act which is punishable under Section 15 (1) of the same Act, carrying a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or a maximum jail term of two years.

Meanwhile, before Sessions Court Judge Jamaludin Mat, the caused pleaded not guilty to another new charge of possessing cannabis weighing 193.7gm.

He was charged with committing the act at his residence at 5.30 pm on March 24, under Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 39A (2) of the same Act, which provides for life imprisonment or not less than five years, with no less than 10 strokes of the cane.

Earlier, in the same court, Muhammad Yasin pleaded not guilty to the charge of cultivating 17 cannabis plants in plastic pots at his residence on the same date and time.

The charge was framed under Section 6B (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act and is punishable under Section 6B (3) of the same Act, which provides for life imprisonment and no less than six whippings, upon conviction.

Muhammad Yasin's bail application for the three charges will be heard on Aug 22.

When met outside the court, the singer said he was relieved after the drug trafficking charge which provided for the death penalty had been withdrawn.

"Alhamdulillah, I am following the legal process and provisions, and I am very grateful. I thank my friends and family for their support, they are my main source of strength," he said.

-- BERNAMA