KENINGAU: A man was jailed 10 months and fined RM6,000 by the Magistrate’s Court here Thursday for using a fake identity card to work as a teacher at a school in Tenom for the past 29 years.
Magistrate Nur Asyraf Zolhani imposed the sentence on Ridal Abdul Kadir, 53, after the accused pleaded guilty to the charge.
Ridal was ordered to serve the sentence from the date of his arrest on Jan 29, and that failure to pay the RM6,000 fine would result in a six-month imprisonment.
The accused settled the fine.
SPONSORED CONTENT Sabah's Mengalum for world’s first net zero carbon island resort Taiwan’s Sinyi Group is on track to unveil the world’s first unique net zero carbon island resort on Mengalum Island. . Read more He was charged under Section 25 (1) (e) of the National Registration Regulations 1990, which provides for a maximum imprisonment of three years or a fine not exceeding RM20,000, or both, upon conviction.
According to the facts of the case, on Jan 29, a document inspection was conducted in the parking area of the school’s teachers’ quarters leading to the accused being arrested on suspicion of possessing a fake identity card with the number 700711-12-5369 under the name Ridal Bin Abdul Kadir.
Checks by the National Registration Department (NRD) revealed that the accused had used the counterfeit national identity card with the stated number and name to work as a teacher in the said school.
A review of records found that an identity card with the same number and name had been issued by the NRD, albeit with a Temporary Resident status.
Further scrutiny also revealed that the accused possessed a temporary identification document with the same number and name and his birth certificate showed he was a non-citizen.
Earlier during the proceedings, NRD prosecuting officer Mohd Naser Mohd Nadzeri requested for a deterrent sentence to be imposed based on public interest and social justice, emphasising that possessing a counterfeit identity document is an unethical and irresponsible action.
However, Ridal’s lawyer, Korventt Wheezar, requested leniency, highlighting that throughout his 29 years of teaching at the school, the accused had a clean record and consistently displayed good behavior, in addition to pleading guilty to the charge.
Meanwhile, in KOTA KINABALU, a 24-year-old housewife who submitted fake information to the NRD in her application to amend her religion from Islam to Christian as well as name on her MyKad was fined RM8,000 or 18 months jail.
Nur Sarimah Subuka pleaded guilty before Magistrate Lovely Natasha Charles to submitting a fake Kota Kinabalu Syariah Court Order at 3.53pm on Sept 12, 2022.
The charge under Regulation 25 (1)(b) of the National Registration Regulations 1990 (Amended 2007) carries a jail term of up to three years or fine of up to RM20,000 or both on conviction.
During mitigation, counsel Lim Ming Zoong @ Lawrence representing Sarimah requested a non-custodial sentence as she is married with two children and a full-time housewife.
It transpired that Sarimah was informed by one of the runners her application would succeed if there was payment for stating she had converted from being a Muslim to Christian, said Lim.
“She wanted to change her faith to Christian because she was raised in a broken family as her father had abandoned her and her mother and she was raised by her single mum with a Christian background,” said Lim.
NRD prosecuting officer Mohamad Faizal Tahir applied for a deterrent sentence to as her action had serious implications for the integrity of the legal system and public trust in honesty.
“While admitting fault, this action cannot be taken lightly and must be given serious attention by the court. Failure to impose an appropriate punishment would send the wrong signal to the public and could encourage others to engage in similar activities.
“Therefore, we urge the court to consider the serious implications of the accused actions and to impose a commensurate punishment as a deterrent and to uphold justice in society,” he said.
Earlier, Faizal in presenting the facts of the case, informed the court that Sarimah came to the Identification Card Division, at NRD here, on Sept 12, 2022 to amend the religion and name in her Identification Card and submitted supporting documents such as her MyKad, birth certificate, Application Order to Change Islamic Religious Status from the Syariah High Court, Kota Kinabalu and also a NRD form dated the same day, which was filled out to an officer on duty for processing.
A research through the Putrajaya NRD panel process found Sarimah had submitted a false Kota Kinabalu Syariah Court Order, the court heard.
Sarimah was then arrested for further investigation after a police report was lodged on Feb 21, this year, said Faizal.
She paid the fine.
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