INDONESIAN LABOURER GETS 15 YEARS FOR DRUG POSSESSION

Kuala Lumpur: Drugs Are Drugs In The Eyes Of The Law

There is no such thing as "soft drugs" and "hard drugs", a judicial
commissioner said when he sentenced an Indonesian labourer to 15
years' jail term and 10 strokes of the whip for a reduced charge of
drug possession Monday.

Judicial Commissioner Zainal Azman Abd Aziz's remark came in response
to the mitigation by counsel Ameenuddin Mohamed Ibrahim for
27-year-old Mohamad Abdul Rahman, who had been charged with
trafficking over 3kg of cannabis in 2002.

Apart from submitting that his client had already pleaded guilty and
that his parents needed him to support them in Acheh, the lawyer also
contended that the cannabis found in Mohamad's possession were merely
"soft drugs" and not "hard drugs" like heroin.

The Indonesian labourer had earlier pleaded guilty to the amended
charge, which accused him of committing the offence on Aug 1, 2002
around 2.30am along Jalan Abdul Rahman Idris here.

The original charge carried the death sentence while the amended one
is punishable with imprisonment of between five years and life and at
least 10 strokes of the whip upon conviction.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Geethan Ram Vincent urged the court to
consider the fact that the accused had entered Malaysia illegally as
well as the amount of the drugs found in his possession, which at
3.787kg was very substantial.

"One can just imagine the amount of damage that can be done if the
drugs had found its way to the public at large," the prosecutor said,
adding that as a foreigner, the accused should have respected the laws
of this country.

In sentencing, Zainal Azman also noted that although foreign workers
were needed in this country, those who came to commit crime were not
welcome.

The Judicial Commissioner ordered the accused to serve his sentence
from the date of his arrest.