MALAYSIA: 2 SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER DRUG TRAFFICKING

October 28, 2009: Two men were sentenced to death by the Kuantan High Court in Malaysia after they were found guilty of trafficking 70.25 gs of metaphetamine, four years ago.
Judicial Commissioner Datuk Mariana Yahya passed the sentence on the accused, Ahmad Zuhaidi Ali, 29, and Asmiezal Ismail, 28, after the defence failed to raise reasonable doubts in the prosecution's case.
Mariana, in her judgment, said the court found that the accused were in possession of and had an exclusive rights of the drugs found hidden in the radio speaker and the compact disc compartment of their car.
She said the defence had also failed to prove that the car had been used by another party before they were arrested at a road block at Km46 Jalan Kuantan-Kemaman, about 1.15pm on July 6, 2005.
The prosecution called six witnesses and the defence three during the course of the trial.
Deputy public prosecutor Nor Azizah Mohamad prosecuted while the accused were represented by counsel Bob Arumugam and T. Muraraju.
Ahmad Zuhaidi, a technician, and Asmiezal, a construction worker, were charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and sentenced under Section 39B(2) of the same act, which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.
Meanwhile, Mariana also sentenced Asmiezal to 24 months' jail for possessing another 0.70gms of methaphetamine at the same time and place. He was ordered to serve the jail sentence from the day of his arrest. (Sources: Bernama, 28/10/2009)