Man gets three years’ jail and caning for drug possession

SARIKEI: A magistrates’ court here on Thursday sentenced a 23year- old to three years in prison and four strokes of the rotan for drug possession.

Magistrate Maris Agan handed down the sentence after Haky Abdullah pleaded guilty to being in possession of methamphetamine, which is listed in Part III of the first Schedule of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 (Act 234).

Prosecuting officer Insp Anbarasu Gobi said on July 12, a body search on Haky conducted by police found substances wrapped in newspaper in his pocket. The substances were seized and later sent to the Chemistry Department, which confirmed the 17.73 grams to be methamphetamine.

The offence is punishable under Section 39( A)( 1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which provides for two to five years of custodial punishment, and three to nine strokes of the rotan.

In a separate case, the same court imposed a fine of RM10,000 in default one year in prison on a 24-year old, who pleaded guilty to being in possession of 3.34 grams of methamphetamine. Zulkiflee Hamid was charged for the offence under Section 12( 2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, and punishable under Section 12( 3) of the same Act, which provides for a maximum RM100,000 fine, or up to five years in prison.

According to the brief facts of the case, Zulkiflee was arrested together with two others by a team of policemen at a house at Jalan Century Sarikei around noon on July 6.

However, following an investigation, the police decided to only charge Zulkif lee, while the other two suspects were released unconditionally.