PETALING JAYA: Nasyid singer and composer Muhammad Yasin Sulaiman was charged in separate courts with cultivating cannabis plants and trafficking 214g of drugs at a condominium in Kota Damansara.

       In the Sessions Court before judge Norshila Kamaruddin yesterday, Muhammad Yasin, 47, pleaded not guilty to the charge of growing the plants.

       The drug-trafficking charge was read out to him before magistrate Zhafran Rahim Hamzah and no plea was recorded as the case is under the High Court’s jurisdiction, Bernama reported.

       Muhammad Yasin, who became popular with the song Mimpi Laila, was charged with cultivating 17 cannabis plants in plastic pots at his residence at Kondominium Casa Indah, Persiaran Surian Damansara Indah Resort Home, PJU 3 Kota Damansara at 5.30pm on March 24.

       The charge was framed under Section 6B (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries life imprisonment and at least six strokes of the rotan, upon conviction.

       Deputy public prosecutors Mohammad Al-Saifi Hashim and Asnawi Abu Hanipah prosecuted, while Muhammad Yasin was represented by lawyer Mohd Yusmadi Mohd Yusoff.

       In the Magistrate’s Court, the father of two was charged with trafficking 214g of cannabis at the same location, time and date.The charge under Section 39B (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and punishable under Section 39B (2) of the same Act, carries the death penalty or life imprisonment, and if not sentenced to death, is punishable by whipping with at least 15 strokes, upon conviction.

       Mohd Yusmadi requested that his client be allowed bail on grounds that he has bipolar disorder and had been receiving psychiatric treatment at the Universiti Kebangsaaan Malaysia Medical Centre since 2009.

       Both courts denied Muhammad Yasin bail and set May 18 for mention.