Singer Yasin Sulaiman charged with cultivating cannabis plants, drug trafficking

Nasyid singer and composer Muhammad Yasin Sulaiman was charged in separate courts today with cultivating cannabis plants and trafficking in 214g of drugs at a condominium in Kota Damansara.

In the Sessions Court before judge Norshila Kamaruddin, Yasin, 47, pleaded not guilty to the charge of growing the plants.

The drug trafficking charge was read out to him before magistrate Zhafran Rahim Hamzah and no plea was recorded as the case is under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

Yasin, who is known for his song “Mimpi Laila”, was charged with cultivating 17 cannabis plants at his residence at Kondominium Casa Indah, Persiaran Surian Damansara Indah Resort Home, PJU 3 Kota Damansara at 5.30pm on March 24.

The charge was framed under Section 6B (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which provides for life imprisonment and a whipping of not less than six strokes upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutors Mohammad Al-Saifi Hashim and Asnawi Abu Hanipah prosecuted, while Yasin was represented by lawyer Mohd Yusmadi Mohd Yusoff.

At the Magistrate’s Court, the father of two was charged with trafficking 214g of cannabis at the same location, time and date.

The charge, framed under Section 39B (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and punishable under Section 39B (2) of the same act, provides for the death penalty or life imprisonment.

If not sentenced to death, he faces a whipping of not less than 15 strokes upon conviction.

The prosecution did not apply for bail. According to Al-Saifi, no bail is allowed for cases under Section 41(B) of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

However, Yusmadi requested that his client be allowed bail on grounds that he had a bipolar disorder and had been receiving psychiatric treatment at the Universiti Kebangsaaan Malaysia Medical Centre since 2009.

“Two months prior to his arrest, my client was treated at Pantai Hospital. He also suffers from health problems and needs help to get proper treatment,” he said, adding that Yasin was recently divorced from his wife.

Both courts denied Yasin bail and set May 18 for mention.