Justin (centre) with NRD officials at the Magistrate’s Court.
KOTA KINABALU (March 3): A farmer was fined RM4,000 in default, 10 months’ jail by the Magistrate’s Court here for giving false information when applying for a Malaysian identity card (MyKad) for a foreigner.
Justin Popolong, 40, admitted before magistrate Stephanie Sherron Abbie, to using the birth certificate of his late daughter, Farhana, to register for the MyKad at the National Registration Department (NRD) branch here on February 28.
Justin was convicted under Rule 25(1)(b) of the National Registration Regulations 1990 which provides for a jail term of up to three years or a fine or both, upon conviction.
The court heard that Justin acted as a guarantor when he submitted the MyKad application.
The NRD officials suspected that the applicant was not his real daughter as she was bigger than a 13-year-old’s, and her face did not match the photograph of Farhana.
Further investigation revealed that the applicant admitted that her real name is Puteri. She was not the biological child of Justin and not a local.
The court also heard that Puteri’s adopted parents confirmed that she was not Justin’s biological child and his daughter had passed away, but her death has not yet been registered.
NRD deputy public prosecutor Mohd Naser Mohd Nadzeri asked for a sentence that would serve as a lesson to the accused and the public.
He said if the girl had managed to get her MyKad using false information, she would have been able to enjoy the benefits of citizenship.
He said such actions were serious and could compromise the sovereignty, security, administration and economy of the state.
It was learnt that Justin paid the fine.