Kota Kinabalu: A 38-year-old China national woman was fined RM3,500 or jailed two months by the Magistrate’s Court here Thursday for soliciting for the purpose of prostitution.
Lin Xiangfei pleaded guilty before Magistrate Wan Farrah Farriza Wan Ghazali to committing the offence at a massage outlet in Tanjung Aru at about 7.20pm on Aug 6.
She was charged under Section 372B of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum one-year jail term, or a fine, or both, on conviction.
The court heard from the prosecution that police conducting an Ops Noda operation at the premises found Lin with a male customer in a room, both naked and engaged in a prostitution activity.
Checks revealed that Lin held a work permit as a reflexologist at another premises and not at the outlet where she was arrested.
The prosecution said she had therefore breached the conditions of her work permit and was also involved in prostitution.
Counsel Alex Lee, representing Lin, appealed for a lower fine, saying she was a single mother of two children, aged 12 and 10, who were being cared for by her elderly mother in China.
He said Lin had come to Sabah about two months ago to work as a masseuse and was remorseful and wanted to return to China to be with her family.
Lee said Lin had already bought a return flight ticket for Aug 15.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Arfa Anchal Khan Muhammad Munir Khan, however, urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence.
In another case, a 43-year-old man was jailed three months for having a stolen Tissot wristwatch, belonging to his brother.
Md Hazris Md Yussop pleaded guilty to having the silver Tissot Sea Star watch belonging to one Md Aslam Md Yussop at about 7.30pm on July 29, in front of a restaurant at Taman Jumbo, Putatan.
He was charged under Section 411 of the Penal Code, which provides for up to five years’ imprisonment, or a fine, or both, on conviction.
The court heard from the prosecution that the complainant discovered on July 28 that his Tissot watch, which had been kept on a table in his living room at his house in Taman Ceriamas, Putatan, was missing.
He suspected it had been stolen by his brother, Hazris, and lodged a police report.
The watch was estimated to be worth RM4,000.
Police arrested Hazris the following day at Taman Jumbo, Putatan, and recovered the watch from him.
The complainant later identified the watch as his property.
