10 YEARS AND CANING FOR HAVING DRUGS

MUAR: A former Politeknik Ungku Omar student was sentenced to 10
years' jail and ordered to be given 10 strokes of the rotan for
possessing 960g of cannabis three years ago. Mohd Rakif Saidi, 23, who
was brought to the High Court here and charged under the Dangerous
Drug Act, pleaded guilty before Justice Datuk Jeffrey Tan yesterday.

He was arrested by a police team along Jalan Parit Othman, Parit
Sulong, on May 15, 2003. Mohd Rakif, who was riding a motorcycle along
the village road, had tried to speed away when he saw a police team
from the narcotics branch but was stopped.

Police found two packs of cannabis wrapped in newspaper in the
motorcycle basket and detained him.

After Mohd Rakif pleaded guilty, counsel Daud Asmoni asked the court
for a lenient sentence, saying his client, who was 19 years old then,
was a first offender.

However, deputy public prosecutor Haslinda Abu Bakar pressed for a
deterrent sentence, saying the crime committed involved a dangerous
drug.

She said Mohd Rakif was very lucky that the prosecution decided to
drop a more-serious charge of drug trafficking as he was arrested
while transporting the drug.