MALAYSIA. TWO MEN CONVICTED ON DRUG CHARGES ESCAPE THE GALLOWS

two men escaped the gallows when Malaysia’s Court of Appeal set aside their conviction and death sentence for trafficking heroin.
However, the panel of three judges led by Justice Datuk Gopal Sri Ram sentenced Ma Hon Ching, 60, and Bee Song Chua, 58, to 18 years after substituting the trafficking charge with one of possession.
The panel of judges said the court was unanimous in deciding that there was no trafficking of the drugs by the defendants.
"We feel that there was no sale transaction of the drugs but there was a negotiation. We accordingly substituted the charge," said Justice Gopal Sri Ram.
Ma and Bee were jointly charged with trafficking 40.45 grams of heroin at the main bus terminal in Jalan Tun Razak, Ipoh, Perak on February 3, 1994. The Ipoh High Court had sentenced the two to death on December 23, 2004.