Kuala lumpur: A 32-year-old man was sentenced to 30 years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane by the High Court here today for trafficking 717.67 grammes of methamphetamine in December 2023. Justice Wong Siong Tung meted out the sentence to Wong Kieng Li after finding that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for trafficking the drugs.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the court, however, declined to impose the death penalty and ordered that the life imprisonment term begin from the date of Wong's arrest on Dec 12, 2023. Justice Wong stated that after considering the submissions of both parties, mitigating and aggravating factors, the quantity of drugs involved, and the circumstances of the case, the court decided against the death penalty.

Wong was charged with trafficking methamphetamine in a car along Jalan Oya at about 5 pm on Dec 12, 2023. The court heard that the accused collected a parcel containing drugs from a cargo counter at Sibu Bus Terminal and placed it in his vehicle. In his defense, Wong testified that he was only helping a friend known as 'Bai Mau' retrieve a package he believed contained LED lights.

The court found that the accused had custody and control of the parcel, triggering the statutory presumption of possession and knowledge under the act. However, Wong's explanation was rejected as he failed to provide meaningful details about the alleged friend or produce witnesses to support his claim. The judge also highlighted inconsistencies in Wong's testimony, including providing an incorrect identity card number and a false phone number when collecting the parcel.

Justice Wong noted that these circumstances collectively rendered the accused's version inherently improbable and incapable of raising any reasonable doubt against the prosecution's case. During mitigation, defense counsel Daren Ling mentioned that Wong, who is married with two children aged 12 and nine, was the sole breadwinner of his family before his arrest. He added that Wong had cooperated with police throughout the investigation and urged the court not to impose the death penalty.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mark Kenneth Netto argued that the large quantity of drugs involved and the accused's active role in transporting them warranted a severe sentence.