Kota Kinabalu: A printing shop owner was fined RM2,500 or 12 months’ jail on Tuesday for displaying symbol, emblem and badge of an organisation that is not registered with the Registrar of Society.
Mohd Saiful Jundulloh Nasir, 32, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Jessica Ombou Kakayun to committing the offence at 2.40pm on Sept 13, 2021 at the RKE Printing and Event Services, Suria Inanam, Jalan Tuaran Bypass.
Saiful admitted to deliberately displaying symbol, emblem and badge of “Arkho 1973”, Geng 360 (Merah Burunghantu Antarabangsa)” and “Geng Double Seven (77)’ which were not approved by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) or in breach of any conditions by the ROS.
The charge, under Section 50(3) of the Societies Act 1966, carries a jail term of up to three months or a fine of up to RM3,000 on conviction.
Inspector Albert Basiri, prosecuting, told the court that a police team, who acted on the information, went to the said premises on the said day and inquired with the shop workers on three t-shirts hung in the premises which stated various logo and handwriting.
One of the workers told police that two of the t-shirts, black and brown coloured were booked by the customer while the white t-shirt was printed by their employer, Saiful, for display, the court heard.
Further examination by police before Saiful, who came to the shop after being ordered to come forward, found that the white t-shirt showed various illegal gazetted logos, the black t-shirt with the Alpha Kappa Rho group logo and the brown coloured t-shirt with the Alpha Sigma Phi Omega group logo, said Albert.
Saiful was then arrested and the shirts were seized as Saiful had committed an offence under the Societies Act 1966 for keeping t-shirts bearing the Arkho 1973 group logo, Geng 360 (Red Birds International) “and” Geng Double Seven (77) which were not approved or registered under the Registrar of Societies (ROS), the court heard.
Duty counsel Lim Ming Zoong @ Lawrence, representing Saiful in requesting a lower fine, said Saiful owned a clothes printing shop and was the sole breadwinner of his family.
Lim said Saiful, who was remanded three days before being released, was remorseful.
“When the clients make an order to make this type of logo he was not aware that it was against the law and the reason he displayed them in the shop was to promote services that he can print the banners, print it on the clothes itself,” said Lim.
Lim added that Saiful did contribute services to the government by printing shirts as required by the government through the tender he received.
Saiful told the court that he regretted his action and admitted his mistake for displaying t-shirts with unregistered group’s symbols and that the t-shirts were only for display and as an example to his customers who wanted to print cloths in his shop, adding that he was not aware that displaying unregistered symbol is an offence.
He promised not to repeat the offence in the future and that his business was badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The court ordered the exhibits to be disposed of by the prosecution.
In another case, a 46-year-old childminder claimed trial to a charge of dishonestly removing someone else’s money into her bank account.
Penang-hailed Tan Pek Heng was accused of removing RM21,500 belonging to another person to her bank account in Sadong Jaya here between Oct 6, 2020 and Oct 17 the same year.
The charge, under Section 424 of the Penal Code, carries imprisonment for up to five years or with fine, or both, if found guilty.
Albert, in applying for a pre-trial case management (PTCM), proposed bail at RM5,000. Duty counsel Lim applied for a lower bail on the grounds that Tan came all the way from Penang for the case and has to take care of her elderly mother.
The court set March 30 for PTCM and released Tan on a bail of RM3,000 in one surety.
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