#SHOWBIZ: 12 songs, one pencil: Yasin Sulaiman shares productive journey behind bars

KUALA LUMPUR: Singer and composer Yasin Sulaiman, 51, claimed his time behind bars was quite productive, during which he composed 12 new songs. He relied on a single pencil and paper to create these tunes. Yasin also revealed he had plans to perform three or four of these songs himself, while the rest will be given to other singers, mainly rising talents.

The identities of these singers remain undisclosed for now. In his own words, Yasin memorized the melodies of each song behind bars and regularly hummed them to ensure they stuck in his memory. He spent considerable time refining each song while incarcerated in Hospital Bahagia in Tanjung Rambutan, Ipoh. Interestingly, during his stay in this hospital, Yasin was able to secure a laptop computer to facilitate his songwriting process.

Yasin was released from the mental hospital on September 2, following a year-long incarceration. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment and 16 whippings for three drug possession charges by the Shah Alam High Court on August 22, 2024. However, his conviction was overturned by the Putrajaya Court of Appeal on April 28, 2025, and he was placed in Hospital Bahagia for rehabilitation for a year.