SHAH ALAM: The High Court today set June 11 for case management of the prosecution's appeal against the acquittal and discharge of singer and composer Muhammad Yasin Sulaiman's drug charges by the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court.
Senior assistant registrar Nadia Othman set the date to allow Yasin's counsel, Ariff Azami Hussein, to study the case's plea records.
She said today was initially set for the appointment of lawyer.
She added she has e-mailed the plea records to the defence and the case management date was fixed.
Deputy public prosecutor Lokman Kasim stood for the prosecution, which is the appellant.
After proceedings, Yasin said he had agreed with the appointment of Ariff as his counsel, who had represented him when he was previously charged at the Sessions Court.
He said he hoped future proceedings would go smoothly and for it to end quickly.
"Currently, I am undergoing treatment at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta (in Perak).
"It has been six months and I am on medication and following the programmes set for me at the hospital.
"Alhamdulillah. I am well now. I was unwell when I was in prison.
"Now I am healthy. I have sufficient medicine, food and sleep," he said.
On Nov 29 last year, Sessions Court Judge Faiz Dziyauddin ordered Yasin to be placed at the hospital at the pleasure of the Sultan of Selangor after acquitting him of three drug charges.
https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2023/11/984451/yasin-sent-hospi...
In his judgment, judge Faiz said the court found Yasin guilty of all three charges but released and acquitted him on grounds that on the occurrence of the events on Mar 24, 2022, he was in a mentally unsound state.
The judge ruled that although Yasin was aware of his actions, the symptoms of mania experienced at that time led to a severe cognitive decline, rendering him unable to comprehend that his actions were wrong and unlawful.
Yasin was accused of providing himself with drugs at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters narcotics office at 11.05pm on Mar 24, 2022.
The charge under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 carries a penalty of a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or imprisonment for a maximum of two years if convicted.
Yasin was also charged with possessing 193.7 grams of cannabis and planting 17 marijuana plants in plastic pots filled with soil at his residence in Persiaran Surian, Damansara Indah Resort Home, PJU 3, Kota Damansara at 5.30pm on the same date.
The charge of drug possession was under Section 6 of the 1952 Dangerous Drugs Act, and if convicted, the penalty is life imprisonment or not less than five years and not less than 10 strokes of the cane.
For the charge of planting the cannabis plants, the prosecution is presented under Section 6B (1) (a) of the 1952 Dangerous Drugs Act, and if convicted, the penalty is life imprisonment and not less than six strokes of the cane.