KOTA KINABALU: The supervisor of a construction company was yesterday fined a total of RM20,000, in default, 12 months’ jail for employing two foreigners who do not have a valid pass.
Sessions Court judge Marlina Ibrahim meted out a fine of RM10,000, in default, six months’ jail for each employee on Chang Siew Fui, 51, when his case came up for sentencing yesterday.
Earlier on September 4, the accused had pleaded guilty to offering the foreigners work the day before, at the proposed site of a three-storey shop office along Jalan Pintas Penampang.
Upon conviction, the offence under Section 55B(1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 provides for a fine of up to RM50,000 or a maximum of 12 months’ jail, or both, for each employee.
During mitigation, the unrepresented accused prayed for leniency as he is the sole provider for his family, which includes his small children.
In reply, Immigration Department prosecuting officer Hamisah Puteh asked the court to impose a heavy sentence on the accused to serve as a lesson to him and would-be offenders.
Meanwhile, the same court jailed a 19-year-old man for five months after he pleaded guilty to a charge of entering the State illegally.
Hassan Daud, who told the court that he was born here, received the sentence after admitting to the offence framed under Section 6(1) of the same Act, which carries a fine not exceeding RM10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or both, in addition to whipping of not more than six strokes.
The court ordered Hassan to be referred to the Immigration Department after serving his sentence and for his biometrics data to be recorded, prior to deportation.
In another Sessions Court, 11 foreigners aged between 20 and 45 were jailed for four months for committing a similar offence.
Judge Ainul Shahrin Mohamad imposed the custodial sentence on the accused persons who were caught here and in Kota Belud.
In addition to the jail sentence, the court also ordered nine of the accused to be whipped.
Prosecuting officer Inspector Jakariya Jupakkal prosecuted the cases.