Kota Kinabalu: An undocumented 31-year-old Filipina was jailed for 10 weeks by the Magistrates’ Court here on Wednesday for soliciting prostitution.
Unemployed Lea Rose Sanciango pleaded guilty before Magistrate Dzul Elmy Yunus to soliciting for prostitution at a hotel room in Penampang at about 6.30pm on Aug 14.
Prosecuting officer Inspector Dzulfamie Amrin told the court that a police team conducted a prostitution operation at the hotel and arrested Lea.
Several items believed to have been used in the activity were seized, including a mobile phone, hotel room access card and key, hotel receipt and RM400 in cash.
Further checks found that Lea did not have valid travel documents to enter Malaysia. Lea, who was unrepresented, pleaded for leniency.
The court ordered her to serve the sentence from the date of her arrest, concurrently with her existing jail sentence for an immigration offence. The RM400 seized was also ordered forfeited to the Government.
Lea was ordered to be referred to the Immigration Department after serving her sentence. She was charged under Section 372B of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of up to one year, or a fine, or both upon conviction.
In the same court, three individuals were each fined RM1,000 or two months’ jail for gambling-related offences.
Rafidah Abdul Rahman, Jasylien Jublin and Mahathir Peer Muhamad pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
Rafidah was fined RM1,000 or two months’ jail for purchasing four public lottery tickets at about 2.35pm on April 15 at Donggongon town, Penampang.
Jasylien was fined the same amount for buying six unlicensed public lottery tickets at about 4pm on May 23, 2026, at Taman Suria, Penampang. Both were charged under Section 9(1) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
Meanwhile, Mahathir was fined RM1,000 or two months’ jail for gambling in a public place at about 4.45pm on May 17 in Putatan. He was charged under Section 7(2) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
The offences carry a maximum fine of RM5,000 or six months’ jail, or both, on conviction.
