Singer Yasin escapes death penalty after drug trafficking charge withdrawn

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 Yasin, 47, to be given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA), and that he would be slapped with two new charges.

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

Iskandar then granted the DNAA to the accused.

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

Today, he 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 at 11.05pm on March 24.

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

Before Sessions Court judge Jamaludin Mat, Yasin pleaded not guilty to another new charge of possessing cannabis weighing 193.7g.

He was charged with committing the act at his residence at 5.30pm 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, Yasin pleaded not guilty to the charge of cultivating 17 cannabis plants at his residence on the same date and time.

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

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court, the singer said he was relieved after the drug trafficking charge which provided for the death penalty had been withdrawn.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