LAWYER Mohd Yusmadi Mohd Yusoff said the drug laws in the country need to be reformed as they have been in place since before independence.

“It has come to a point where the courts make decisions based on assumptions,” said the former lawmaker, who is actively campaigning for the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes to be made legal.

“For example, if someone is carrying 200g of marijuana, the court assumes that he is a dealer when he may be a consumer.”

Yusmadi is representing singer-songwriter Yasin Sulaiman, who was charged in separate courts with cultivating cannabis plants and trafficking 214g of the drug at his residence in Kota Damansara.

The 47-year-old is currently held at Sungai Buloh Prison, and faces charges under sections 39B and 6B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

If convicted, he faces the death sentence or life imprisonment.

Yusmadi said current laws prove that assumptions can be made to charge someone, and this should not be happening.

“Individuals like Yasin will not be able to get the best medical treatment in prison. The right to healthcare is a human right.”

Prisons should also be reformed based on the current situation, he added.

“Prison reforms will not only help the inmates, but also the prisons themselves.

“For example, prison capacity tends to breach the limit, making it a not-so-suitable place for the sick.

“These (inmates) are citizens who can contribute to society, so they should be treated better and given a second chance.”

Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar last year called on the government to make prison data more accessible to lawmakers and agencies dealing with inmate rehabilitation to ensure prisons are more efficiently managed.

“This data includes the number of prisoners in a jail or detention centre, the crimes of those convicted, and the number of those on parole or undergoing community service.

“Up-to-date prison data is needed to know exactly where inmates can be placed and ensure ease of managing the safety of those within prison compounds.” – May 24, 2022.