28-04-2025
Appeals Court Overturns Singer Yasin's Life Imprisonment
PUTRAJAYA, April 28 (Bernama) -- The Court of Appeal today overturned the High Court's decision that convicted and sentenced singer and composer Muhammad Yasin Sulaiman to life imprisonment over three drug-related offences.
A three-member panel comprising Justices Datuk Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali, Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah and Datuk Azmi Ariffin allowed Muhammad Yasin's appeal and reinstated the Sessions Court's earlier decision.
In 2023, the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court acquitted and discharged the 49-year-old 'Mimpi Laila' singer of all the charges and ordered that he be placed at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Perak, at the pleasure of the Sultan of Selangor.
Delivering the unanimous decision, Justice Che Mohd Ruzima said Muhammad Yasin's claim of suffering from bipolar disorder is not merely a bare assertion.
He said from his medical history, four hospitals have confirmed that Muhammad Yasin is suffering from bipolar disorder, which was detected between 2007 and 2013.
Justice Che Mohd Ruzima futher said this indicated that Muhammad Yasin had experienced a relapse of his medical condition and had been receiving treatment.
'We find that although the appellant (Muhammad Yasin) committed the offences as charged, he cannot be convicted due to his mental incapacity at the time of the incident,' he said.
He added that the Sessions Court judge had not erred in addressing the issue of legal insanity based on the testimony of Dr Ian Llyod Anthony, a forensic psychiatry consultant from Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta.
'We find that the High Court misdirected itself in overturning the trial judge's findings, which were based on the evidence presented,' he said.
