Kota Kinabalu: 27 foreigners were sentenced by the Sessions Court for pleading guilty to commit various offences under the Immigration Act.
Of the total, 18 Filipinos were charged under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for entering the country without valid travel documents.
Seventeen of them were sentenced to four months’ imprisonment from the date of arrest, while another was fined RM4,000 or four months’ jail in default. The accused, however, paid the fine.
Another seven foreigners were sentenced for overstaying in Malaysia under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Three of them were each fined RM10,000 or six months’ imprisonment in default of payment.
All three failed to pay the fine.
The remaining four were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment from the date of arrest for the same offence.
Meanwhile, two Filipino women were sentenced to a total of 10 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to entering the country without valid travel documents and re-entering Malaysia without valid documents after having been deported.
The offence of re-entering the country without valid documents after deportation is punishable under Section 36 of the Immigration Act 1959/63, which carries a fine of up to RM10,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both, as well as up to six strokes of the cane upon conviction.
The court also ordered all the convicted individuals to be referred to the Immigration Department for further action after completing their respective sentences.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Syarifah Nursyuhada Tuan Mamat together with prosecuting officers Gressia Yolanda Ismail Uvaraj, Chin Tze Mee, Kamrul Md Yusof and Norhayati Abd Hari from the Immigration Department.
