Kota Kinabalu: A 47-year-old man, who has two conviction record of taking syabu, was on Tuesday sentenced to five years’ jail and ordered to be caned once for taking the drugs the third time.
Juanis George pleaded guilty before Sessions Court Judge Noor Hafizah Mohd Salim for consuming the drugs on Feb 15 this year in Papar.
The charge against Juanis also stated that he had two conviction records on similar offence for taking syabu in 2013 and 2016.
Juanis was charged under Section 39C(1)(b) of the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) 1952, which provides for a jail term between five years and seven years and whipping of not more than three strokes of the cane.
The court ordered him to serve the jail sentence from the date of his arrest and also ordered him to be placed under police supervision for two years thereafter.
Juanis requested for the sentence to run from the date of his arrest and told the court that he is married with five children and is also taking care of his parents.
The prosecution applied for a deterrent sentence on the grounds that Juanis was a habitual offender.
The court ordered Juanis to serve the jail term from the date of his arrest and also ordered him be placed under police supervision for two years thereafter.
In the same court, a 32-year-old self-employed man claimed trial to having 32.52gm of syabu.
Nazri Sain was accused of having the drugs at 2.30pm on June 13 this year at a shoplot at Kg Giling Laut in Tuaran.
He was charged under Section 12(2) of the DDA which is punishable under Section 39A(2) which carries a life imprisonment or not less than five years jail and whipping not less than 10 times, on conviction.
Noor Hafizah set Sept 29 for pre-trial case management and fixed Jan 5-6 next year for trial.
Nazri, who was represented by counsel Farazwin Haxdy, was ordered to be remanded further.
Meanwhile, in the Magistrate’s Court, seven people were penalised for committing drug-related offence.
Dicken Gumon was fined RM2,000 or 10 months jail by Magistrate Afiq Agoes after he admitted to having 0.08gm of syabu on June 25 in Inanam.
He had committed an offence under Section 12 (2) of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952 provides for a fine of up to RM100,000 or up to five years jail or both on conviction.
The other six – Mohammad Thaufiq, Yusof Latif, Wan Azrul Norbin, Chia Wui Hung, Mohamad Adam and Amlia Ismail admitted separately to taking syabu.
Yusof was ordered to pay a fine of RM2,000 or nine months jail, Mohammad Thaufiq was fined RM1,800 or seven months, Wan Azrul and Mohamad Adam were fined RM1,600 or seven months jail each while Chia was fined RM1,500 or seven months jail.
Amlia was jailed 10 months.
Taking drugs under Section 15(1) of the of the Dangerous Drug Act provides for a fine of up to RM5,000 or up to two years jail on conviction.
