12 January 2009 :

a man from Aceh, Indonesia, who was sentenced to 15 years in jail and 10 strokes of the rotan after he pleaded guilty in 2005 to possessing drugs, received the mandatory death penalty from the same High Court in Malaysia. Former lorry driver Mohd Nor Fauzi, 43, was now found guilty of trafficking in 980g of cannabis at PJS 4/27B, Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya, about 5.40pm on July 13, 2000. On June 22, 2005, the court had amended the charge of trafficking under Section 39B(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 to a lesser charge of possessing the drugs at the end of the prosecution case. Following this, Mohd Nor pleaded guilty and was sentenced to jail and whipping. A week later, however, the prosecution took the case to the Court of Appeal and succeeded in having the High Court rulings set aside. The Court of Appeal also ordered Mohd Nor to enter his defence to the original charge. On Oct 9 this year, he gave evidence under oath to defend himself. Judge Datuk Zaharah Ibrahim said Mohd Nor's defence was a mere denial.