PAPAR: Eighty-one foreigners were jailed and fined by the Sessions Court after they pleaded guilty to committing separate immigration offences.
High Court deputy registrar Mohd Fafizi Abdul Halim, who sat as a Sessions Court judge, sentenced 66 men and two women to four months’ jail, while another man was fined RM4,000, in default, four months’ jail, for entering the state illegally.
The court also ordered the 63 men to be whipped once each.
Each of the accused were separately charged under Section 6 (1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963 which carries a fine not exceeding RM10,000, or a jail term of up to five years, or both, and whipping of not more than six strokes, on conviction.
Meanwhile, four men and a woman were jailed for between one and three months for overstaying.
They were convicted under Section 15 (1) (c) of the same Act which carries a fine not exceeding RM10,000, or a jail term of up to five years, or both, on conviction.
Two other women and two men were fined RM700 each, in default, one or two months’ jail for violating their social visit passes.
The court also sentenced a Pakistani national and a Filipino to three and four months’ jail respectively and ordered for each of them to be whipped once for having fake endorsements on their passports.
All the accused persons, aged between 18 and 45, were arrested by police and immigration personnel in Sipitang, Keningau, Ranau, Kudat and in the city between June 29 and July 23.
They were also ordered to be referred to the Immigration Department for further action.
Prosecuting officers Shaiful Izuat Abd Shani and Norlyah Stoh from the Immigration Department prosecuted.