Kota Kinabalu: Fifty foreigners, comprising Filipinos and Indonesians, were sentenced to four months in jail by the Sessions Court here for committing immigration-related offences.
Forty-five of them pleaded guilty separately to staying in the State illegally between March 12 and 13, at different locations here, in Papar and Ranau.
They were each sentenced to four months’ jail.
The 45 had committed an offence under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, which carries a jail term of up to five years’ jail or a fine of up to RM10,000, or both, on conviction.
Meanwhile, the other five foreigners were fined RM500 each or jailed three months for violating the conditions of their Temporary Work Visit Passes.
The five were Arquiza Armando Gumabon, Pag Iwayan Richie Hilapon, Eleuterio Edna Reyes, Espanol Mitchell Taguran, and Wendy Hutalla.
The charges against them stated that the Temporary Work Visit Passes issued to them were for employment under a specific employer as vegetable, fruit, or paddy field workers (garden workers), but they were found working as masseurs at a reflexology establishment.
The five were arrested on March 13, at 10.22pm, at a reflexology and therapy establishment near here.
They were charged under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963, which provides for a fine of up to RM1,000, or a jail term of up to six months or both, on conviction.
All five paid their fines.
All foreigners in both cases were ordered by Judge Hurman Hussain to be referred to the Immigration Department for further action.
Prosecuting officer Baxter Junior Goh and Norizan Awang Tanda prosecuted, while all foreigners were not represented.