A trans woman was sentenced to five years in prison and 10 strokes of the cane by the High Court today after pleading guilty to an amended drug charge involving 311.1g of cannabis.
High Court Judge Aslam Zainuddin delivered the sentence after the accused, aged 38, entered a guilty plea to an alternative charge. Deputy public prosecutor Faridah Nurdinie Bahrum informed the court that the Attorney-General’s Chambers had accepted the accused’s representation.
The accused had initially faced a charge of drug trafficking under Section 39B(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment upon conviction. However, following the representation filed in April through lawyer M. Manoharan, the charge was reduced to drug possession under Section 6, punishable under Section 39A(2) of the same Act.
According to the facts of the case, the accused was arrested at a budget hotel in Bukit Bintang at about 10pm on March 17, 2025. Police later escorted the accused to a hotel room, which was unlocked using a key in her possession. A subsequent search uncovered cannabis wrapped in foil on the toilet floor.
The prosecution sought a deterrent sentence, citing the seriousness of the offence. However, the defence urged the court to impose the minimum sentence, stating that the accused had shown remorse and was seeking rehabilitation rather than punishment. The defence also said the accused had faced social difficulties and that the drugs were for personal use.
After considering submissions from both sides, Judge Aslam imposed the sentence of five years’ imprisonment and 10 strokes of the cane, ordering it to run from the date of arrest.
