PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA: In a recent ruling, the Federal Court has imposed a 10-year imprisonment sentence on a former private college student who accepted an amended charge of drug possession after negotiations with the prosecution.
Presiding over the case, Court of Appeal President Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, along with Chief Judge of Malaya Zabidin Diah and Justice Rhodzariah Bujang, decided that Adib Jamaluddin, aged 29, will also undergo 10 strokes of the cane.
The panel, led by Abang Iskandar, applied the commencement of the prison term from Nov 18, 2016, the date on which Adib was apprehended.
This recent sentence will be served alongside an existing sentence for a separate drug possession charge, for which Adib was previously sentenced to five years in prison and 10 strokes of the rotan, a sentence he chose not to challenge.
At the start of the session, Hafizuddin Salehuddin, representing Adib, confirmed to the court that the prosecution had agreed to his client’s legal representations.
The confirmation was also acknowledged by Deputy public prosecutor Fairuz Johari.
Adib initially faced the death penalty after the Shah Alam High Court found him guilty of trafficking 814g of cannabis on Nov 18, 2019, in addition to a five-year sentence for possessing 51.89g of cannabis discovered in a vehicle on the same date in 2016.
The Court of Appeal upheld both verdicts in 2022.
In the sentencing considerations, Fairuz suggested a jail term of 10 to 12 years, taking into account the quantity of cannabis involved.
Hafizuddin appealed for a lighter sentence, highlighting that Adib, a first-time offender, had already spent a significant part of his youth in incarceration.
After the sentencing, Adib approached Fairuz to express his gratitude for the chance to reunite with his family in time for the fasting month and Hari Raya after years of separation.
Fairuz encouraged him to live a productive life and contribute positively to society.
Hafizuddin later told FMT that Adib could be released from prison soon due to eligibility for a one-third reduction of his sentence for good behavior, notwithstanding the necessity to fulfill the court’s order of 20 strokes of the cane.
OTHER NEWS: Drug House Busted After First Grader Brings Marijuana to School
