Appeals court overturns Yasin's life imprisonment over drugs

The Court of Appeal has overturned the High Court’s decision that convicted and sentenced singer and composer Yasin Sulaiman to life imprisonment over three drug-related offences.

A three-member panel comprising judges Che Ruzima Ghazali, Collin Lawrence Sequerah and Azmi Ariffin allowed Yasin’s appeal and reinstated the Sessions Court’s earlier decision.

In 2023, the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court acquitted and discharged the 49-year-old “Mimpi Laila” singer of all the charges and ordered that he be placed at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Perak, at the pleasure of the Selangor sultan.

Delivering the unanimous decision, Che Ruzima said Yasin’s claim of suffering from bipolar disorder is not merely a bare assertion.

He said from his medical history, four hospitals have confirmed that Yasin has bipolar disorder, which was detected between 2007 and 2013.

The judge further said this indicated that Yasin had experienced a relapse of his medical condition and had been receiving treatment.

“We find that although the appellant committed the offences as charged, he cannot be convicted due to his mental incapacity at the time of the incident,” he said.

He added that the Sessions Court judge had not erred in addressing the issue of legal insanity based on the testimony of Dr Ian Lloyd Anthony, a forensic psychiatry consultant from Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta.

“We find that the High Court misdirected itself in overturning the trial judge’s findings, which were based on the evidence presented,” he said.

He also ruled that Ian’s testimony, as well as his medical report on Yasin’s bipolar disorder, were not hearsay.

Heavy sentence

In 2023, Sessions Court judge Faiz Dziyauddin acquitted and discharged Yasin of all the charges on the grounds that at the time of the incident, the singer was in an unsound mental state, even though he was aware of his actions.

However, the Shah Alam High Court later allowed the prosecution’s appeal and convicted Yasin on three charges - cultivating 17 cannabis plants, possession of 193.7g of cannabis and self-administration of dangerous drugs.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment with six strokes of the cane for cultivating the plants, eight years’ jail and 10 strokes for drug possession, and a 10-month jail term for the self-administration of a dangerous drug.

In today’s proceeding, lawyers Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Kee Wei Lon, Low Wei Loke and Ee Gen You represented Yasin while deputy public prosecutor Sarulatha Paramavathar appeared for the prosecution.

Outside the court, Yasin’s elder brother, Zain, said it was a meaningful day for the singer, who had spent about three years behind bars.

- Bernama

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