TWO DECADES: Tiong is escorted out of the court after sentencing.
SIBU: A 31-year-old man is to stay behind bars for 20 years after he pleaded guilty in the High Court here to two alternative charges of drug possession.
Tiong Kung King was sentenced to 20 years’ jail and 10 strokes of the rotan for the first charge under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 39A(2) of the same Act.
The charge allows for life imprisonment or a minimum jail term of five years plus caning of not less than 10 strokes.
For the second charge under Section 12(2) of the same Act, which is punishable under Section 12(3) of the same Act, Tiong was sentenced to five years in prison.
The Section provides for a maximum fine of RM100,000 or a maximum five years’ jail or both.
The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently.
Tiong was initially charged for drug trafficking under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the death penalty.
He was caught for the offence on Jan 26, 2011 at the Sibu Airport after arriving from Johor.
A police team stopped him for a check and found 244.97 grams of Methamphetamine and 2,779.11 grams of Ketamine in his possession.