SHE had always been sure of her son's innocence.

But housewife Jamilah Sidek, 58, was still worried while waiting for the judge to deliver the verdict on her son's case yesterday.

She said in a mix of Malay and English: 'I lost my husband when he died at 62 in 2006. Last year, my son went to prison. I was afraid that more bad news would come.'

'I shouted 'thank you' to the judge and I thanked Yunani's lawyer and thanked God,' she said.

Her youngest son's freedom came after three days of fasting and prayers.

She said: 'I had cried for so many years for him, I am amazed that I did not become blind. Today, I am tired but so happy.'

In 1992, Mr Yunani told his parents that his pillion rider, Abdul Aziz Idros, then 25, had been caught with a bag of cannabis.

But he insisted he was innocent, so his parents persuaded him to surrender himself to the authorities.

Yesterday, the 33-year-old former port worker was acquitted of trafficking in no less than 329g of cannabis, an offence with a minimum sentence of five years' jail and five strokes of the cane.

After the re-trial and submissions were delivered by both the prosecution and MrYunani's lawyer, Mr Abraham Vergis, Judge Jasvender took 15 minutes to explain her verdict before acquitting Mr Yunani.

She said that Aziz, the prosecution's main witness, had been an accomplice in the offence and had tried to deflect blame by implicating Mr Yunani.

As such, she said that his testimony had to be considered cautiously.

Judge Jasvender added that Aziz's testimony had many contradictions and should not be believed.

NO REGRETS

Madam Jamilah said: 'I have no regrets asking Yunani to surrender because I believed he told me the truth, that he was innocent. Yunani has never touched drugs before.

'Even when he's sick, it's so difficult to get him to take medication.'

While in prison, Mr Yunani said that he kept his spirits up by praying, meditating, and reading the Quran.

He said: 'But I was still worried when I slept at night. That stress caused me to lose 8kg while in jail.

'When I heard the judge's verdict, I went pale and it took some time for it to sink in.

'Then I felt like I wanted to scream for joy.'

Mr Yunani's elder sister, Madam Lilis Abdul Hamid, 40, said she did not know her youngest brother had been acquitted until The New Paper told her the news at about 5.30pm yesterday.

She said happily: 'When I heard the news, I said 'Yippee' and raised my hands in joy. An hour later, my brother tried to disguise his voice on the phone to tell me the news but I knew it was him.

'He had been planning to just enter my unit and see the shock on my face when I realised that he was free, but I spoilt the surprise.'

As we watched, Madam Jamilah and Madam Lilis hugged and kissed Mr Yunani.

Madam Rohani appeared relieved.

Madam Lilis said the family had planned to cook a simple meal to celebrate Mr Yunani's return and freedom but they had not yet eaten when The New Paper visited them yesterday.

She said: 'Just seeing my brother back home has made us so happy that we do not feel like eating anymore. He is my pet and I missed him so much.

'Throughout the time he was in jail, I had cried mainly tears of sadness. Today, I asked God to grant me tears of joy instead and He did.'

This story was first published in The New Paper on 24 April 2008.