10 YEARS, 10 STROKES FOR HAVING CANNABIS

SHAH ALAM: A 37-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years' jail and
ordered to be given 10 strokes of the rotan by the High Court
yesterday, after pleading guilty to an alternative charge of
possessing more than 200g of cannabis.

Judicial Commissioner Datuk Zaharah Ibrahim ordered Alley Anuar
Mohamad to serve his sentence from the date of his arrest, on May 23,
2004.

Earlier, counsel Samry Masri and Aminuddin Mohd Ramli told the court
that Alley has regretted his actions.

"His plea of guilt has saved the court's time and cost," Samry
said.

"It won't serve any purpose to put him away behind bars for a long
time, as he has a sick and old mother to look after."

In pressing for a harsher sentence, DPP Saiful Edris Zainuddin said
that the amount of drugs the accused was caught with was high.

"I urge the court to mete out between 15 and 18 years in jail," he
said.

Saiful also pointed out that Alley has two previous convictions in
2002, where he was sentenced to four months in jail, also for drug
possession.

This, he said, showed the accused has no remorse over his
actions.

Alley admitted to having 237.6g of cannabis at Lot 331, Jalan Pancan
Bedera, Sungai Besar in Sabak Bernam, at 3.50pm, on May 23, two years
ago.