KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — A man was sentenced to seven years in prison and 10 strokes of the cane by the High Court today after pleading guilty to possessing cannabis at a hotel in Bukit Bintang in March last year.
Judge Datuk Aslam Zainuddin handed down the sentence against Sali Sangsangan, 39, after he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge offered to him, and ordered the accused to serve his prison sentence from the date of his arrest on March 17, 2025.
Under the alternative charge, he was accused of possessing 311.1g of cannabis at a hotel in Bukit Bintang at 1.20am on March 17, 2025.
The alternative charge was under Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which provides for life imprisonment or a minimum of five years in prison and a minimum of 10 strokes of the cane upon conviction.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Faridah Nurdinie Bahrum informed the court that the Attorney-General's Chambers had accepted Sali's representation to reduce the charge.
"The representation has been accepted, and an alternative charge under Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act, punishable under Section 39A(2) of the same Act, has been offered should the accused wish to plead guilty," she said.
The accused’s lawyer M. Manoharan appealed for a lighter sentence on the grounds that his client had cooperated fully throughout the investigation, adding that any sentence imposed should take a rehabilitative approach rather than purely punitive measures.
"My client regrets what happened. Spending over a year in prison has made him realise his mistake.
"He has repented and is remorseful for his actions," said the lawyer, who also informed the court that his client had previously been charged under Section 39B of the DDA for drug trafficking.
However, Faridah called for the maximum sentence, arguing that public interest must take precedence over the accused's personal circumstances, and that drug offences are serious crimes.
"I urge the court to consider that when an offence involves drugs, the offender should not be given a lenient sentence. I also ask the court to consider that the weight of drugs in this case is substantial, five times the statutory possession limit," she said.
