LABOURER GETS 6 YEARS FOR DRUG POSSESSION

A labourer was sentenced to six years' jail and ordered to be
whipped 10 times by a Sessions Court here for possessing 94.4g of cannabis.

Judge Fathiah Idris ordered Shahrin Ishak, 31, to serve the sentence
from the date of arrest after Shahrin pleaded guilty to the charge
Tuesday.

Shahrin was charged under Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952
for possessing the drugs, kept inside a blue box under a cupboard, at
his house in Taman Berpadu, Sitiawan, on Aug 4 at about 11.45pm.

Shahrin, who was unrepresented, pleaded to the judge for a minimum
punishment as he had to take care of his wife and two small children.

"I regret my actions and promise not to do it again," he
said.

However, DPP Aiza Khairuddin pointed out that the accused had been
jailed for three other previous convictions.

"The accused has served 10 months for possession of ganja in 1991,"
said Aiza.

"He was also convicted for a break-in in 1995 and had once fled from
detention in 1998," she added.

Aiza said the accused should have thought about his young family's
welfare and pushed for a deterrent punishment.