Two women fined over illegal gambling

Kota Kinabalu: Two women were fined for illegal gambling.

Jahidah Bahinding, 41, and Siti Rahmatiah Musih, 28, pleaded guilty separately before Magistrate Lovely Natasha Charles to the charge against them on Monday.

Jahidah was fined RM800 or two weeks’ jail for having a piece of paper containing 4D numbers which was illegal.

She committed the offence at 4.35pm on Aug 8, 2020 at the Pintu A2 in Karamunsing Complex, here.

The offence, under Section 9(1) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, provides for a fine of up to RM5,000 or up to six months’ jail, or both, on conviction.

Meanwhile, Siti Rahmatiah was ordered to pay a fine of RM1,000 or three months’ jail for online gambling at 11.15am on Oct 11, 2020 at an unnumbered premises in Ruang Singgah Mata 1, Asia City, here.

Both women were represented by counsel Lawrence Lim from the National Legal Aid Foundation.

In separate mitigation, Lim asked for light sentence to be given to the women as they each had three children to look after.

Lim informed the court that the duo committed the offence as they wanted to get money to support their family.

The prosecution urged the court to mete out an appropriate sentence for the duo.