Kota Kinabalu: A 26-year-old man who used three RM50 fake notes to buy a Touch ‘n Go reload pin was jailed five years’ jail and fined RM1,000, or jailed three months.
Sessions Court Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan handed down the sentence to Mohd Noor Hafizan Azlan, who maintained his guilty plea when the case came up for facts and sentencing on Friday.
Hafizan used the counterfeit notes on Dec 19, 2023, between 11am and 11.30am at the Golden Hill Enterprise Shell station in Jalan Pintas Donggongon, Penampang.
He was charged under Section 489B of the Penal Code, which carries imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping upon conviction.
The court ordered Hafizan to serve his jail term from the date of conviction.
During mitigation, the unrepresented Hafizan asked for leniency, saying he had three siblings, was the eldest, and needed to support his younger siblings who were still in school.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Bryan Francis urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, stressing the seriousness of the offence, noting that Hafizan had caused a loss of RM150 and was found with another RM1,220 in fake notes upon his arrest.
Bryan submitted that Hafizan’s actions could affect the country’s economy and that the court should consider the fact that he had previously absconded and jumped bail.
The court heard that Hafizan went to the petrol station, bought the reload using the fake notes, and left. The notes were later found to be counterfeit, and CCTV footage recorded his actions.
Following a police report, Hafizan was arrested, and another RM1,220 in fake notes was seized from him.
Meanwhile, a 30-year-old illegal immigrant was jailed three years and given three strokes of the cane for possessing 27.59gm of syabu.
Alsan Sadni admitted to having the drug at 6.30pm on May 25 this year by the roadside in Kg Lok Bonu, Sepanggar, Manggatal.
After serving his sentence, Alsan will be referred to the Immigration Department for further action.
