KOTA KINABALU: A ‘madam’ was sentenced to seven years jail by the Sessions Court for living on the earnings derived from prostitution.
Sessions Court judge Azhaniz Teh Azman Teh imposed the sentence on Lee Swee Lian after she admitted to committing the offence near a petrol station in Kampung Air on May 26, this year, at 9.35 pm.
The charge, framed under Section 372A of the Penal Code, carries a jail term of up to 15 years, and with whipping, and also liable to fine upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Nartiah F Mirchelle Sambatan told the court that during a police observation, Lee and another woman were seen on the road across the petrol station in Kampung Air.
She said the two women were then seen offering their services to a man there. Subsequently, the three of them were seen moving towards Bandaran Berjaya area.
They were then seen entering a lodging house by a police raiding team along Jalan Masjid Lama around 9.50 pm.
Upon entering the premises, police found Lee sitting near the reception counter of the lodging house. She was later apprehended for running a prostitution service as a ‘madam’ (mama ayam).
The police also seized an Alcatel handphone and a Celcom simcard from her.
Nartiah urged the court to impose a heavy sentence on the accused taking into account public’s interest and the rampancy as well as the seriousness of the offence.
She further said that the accused had profited from her role and said that the offence encouraged the act of prostitution.
The undefended accused pleaded for leniency and asked the court to begin her jail term from the date of her arrest.
Azhaniz granted her request and ordered her to serve her imprisonment from May 26.
Lee had initially made a plea of guilty when the charge was read to her but kept changing her plea.
In a separate case at the same court, a manager charged with attempting to rape a 26-year-old clerk had his case adjourned to September 24, this year.
Court judge Azhaniz told Ahmad Zulkifli Ab Wahab, 49, that his case will be heard before another judge who will also fix the trial date.
The judge explained that the case will be taken over by another court judge as he would be transferred soon.
Ahmad Zulkifli is accused of attempting to rape the victim at 11am on December 24, last year, at a complex in Lok Kawi.
The charge is framed under Section 376 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 511 of the same Code, with imprisonment term of up to 10 years, and will also be liable to whipping.