MUHAMMAD Lukman Mohamad, a trained engineer, was resigned to his fate after he was sentenced to death by the Shah Alam High Court on three charges of drug trafficking in 2018.

His defence was that he had produced and sold cannabis oil to help the sick.

In February 2021, after spending more than five years in jail while the court battle stretched on, Lukman was freed by the Federal Court, which allowed him to appeal.

A three-member bench reduced the charge from trafficking to possession. In the judgment, the judges said the prosecution had failed to prove the weight of the drug.

Lukman, who was then 31 years’ old, was sentenced to five years in jail, starting from the time of his arrest in 2015.

A free man today, Lukman lives in Terengganu with his family. He runs a small business in Besut selling fish and chicken.

He maintains that he had done nothing wrong except to help the sick recover from their illnesses.

He told The Malaysian Insight that throughout court proceedings, he had had a feeling that he would eventually be released.

“I told myself that there was no way I would be hanged just because of cannabis. There is no way they will hang someone because of cannabis. I repeatedly told myself.

“However, when the High Court found me guilty, I surrendered myself to God.

“If that was how my life would end, so be it,” Lukman said.

Backed by young lawyer Farhan Maaruf, Lukman was advised to try all avenues for exoneration.

“Farhan was very energetic and never gave up on my case.”

At the Federal Court, Lukman was represented by senior counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik.

“Hisyam with his vast experience helped my case a lot. There were many other lawyers who assisted. I am totally grateful,” he said.

‘Police were watching me’

Lukman said police were surprised to find that he lived a normal life when they raided his home in Banting, Selangor.

“Initially, some friends and I experimented after finding out that cannabis has good benefits. So we made our own cannabis oil. We cooked it ourselves.

“Then a friend’s cousin, who suffered from hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), started using my cannabis oil. I was not sure that it would cure her because we had made it ourselves.

“To our surprise, after using the oil for some time, the doctor who treated her said her illness was cleared. The hospital even produced a report stating that she no longer had an overactive thyroid.

“I was overjoyed and wanted to help more people. That was when we started using Facebook to let the people know the benefits of cannabis oil. We had also read studies produced by foreign universities about marijuana.

“Testimonies of people using my cannabis oil kept coming in and it was all positive feedback. It was 2015 and police were watching me,” he said.

One day in 2015, the cops came knocking on his door.

“They thought I was a big-time gangster but I was not. They came with guns drawn in anticipation of a shootout.

“But to their surprise, a nerd opened the door. There I was, in my T-shirt and pants. They were probably expecting a Don Corleone-type character.

“I lived a normal life and I was not a drug kingpin. My crime was helping the sick get better,” he said.

Lukman’s case drew the attention of many people, including former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who called for a review of Lukman’s drug charges.

A petition was also launched calling for his release.

Lukman was incarcerated in Sungai Buloh and then Kajang prison before he was transferred to jail in Marang.

He said many inmates and wardens were surprised by the facts of his case.

“Because usually, you sell drugs if you are in a gang but I sold it for medical purposes, which they were eager to learn about.”

However, he said one had to act tough in prison.

“Whether you like it or not, you have to act strong inside. It was not a cheerful place but Allah protected me. I could not be more thankful.”

Last October, Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin announced the government will study legalising marijuana for medicinal purposes.

He was responding to a question from Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muar-Muda) on whether marijuana, which is categorised as a dangerous drug in Malaysia, would be legalised to create new economic opportunities as well as allow parents to use medicinal marijuana to treat children with mental health problems. – January 16, 2022.