Habitual drug offender jailed eight years

KOTA KINABALU: A 54-year-old drug addict with three previous convictions of consuming syabu, received an eight-year jail term for committing a similar offence.

Sessions Court judge Elsie Primus imposed the custodial sentence on Fong Hon Fah, when the case came up for facts and sentencing.

The charge was read again and Fong maintained his plea of guilty.

He had committed the fourth drug abuse offence at the Police Narcotic Crime Investigation Department here at 9.30pm on March 21.

The offence is framed under Section 15 (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 read together under Section 39C (2) of the same Act, which carries a jail term of not less than seven years and not exceeding 13 years and whipping of not more than six strokes, upon conviction.

The court also ordered for the jail sentence to take effect from the date of his arrest and the accused to be placed under police supervision for three years after serving the sentence.

Fong was also spared from whipping due to his age.

In mitigation, counsel Kimberly Ye, who represented the accused, prayed for leniency on the grounds that the accused had admitted to the offence at the first instance and had surrendered himself to the police with the intention to stop taking the drugs.

She said Fong was working as an air conditioner technician before he started taking drugs to ease himself due to the pressure of marriage.

Kimberly also said Fong, who is no longer working, is currently surviving on his retirement fund.

Meanwhile, deputy public prosecutor Rustam Sanip requested for a deterrent sentence to be imposed against the accused.

Kimberly acted under the National Legal Aid Foundation.